<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">A suicide bomb attack outside the Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul has caused heavy casualties.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Police said at least five civilians had been killed but another Taliban official put the toll as high as 20.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The attack took place about 16:00 local time (11:30 GMT) when the bomber tried, but failed to enter the ministry building itself, the Taliban said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several countries, including Turkey and China, have embassies in the area.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The local offshoot of the Islamic State group, known as Islamic State - Khorasan Province (Isis-K) claimed it carried out the attack, in a post on Telegram.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Reports suggest a Chinese delegation was due to hold talks with the Afghan officials inside the foreign ministry building at the time of the attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Italian humanitarian agency, Emergency NGO in Kabul said it had received more than 40 wounded people and the casualty numbers were continuing to rise.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Kabul police described the attack as cowardly, adding in a statement that the perpetrators would be held accountable.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Afghanistan has been rocked by dozens of blasts since the Taliban seized power last year, mostly claimed by Isis-K.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Correspondents say that the Taliban tend to underplay casualty figures in such incidents. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>