The cause of the blast at the gate of the facility next to Kabul’s international airport was unclear KABUL: An investigation has been launched after an explosion near a checkpoint at Kabul’s military airport killed and wounded several people on Sunday, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs said. A bomb exploded near the entrance of the facility in the Afghan capital, ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takoor said. He told Arab News: “A number of our countrymen were martyred and wounded as a result of a bomb blast that took place outside Kabul military airport.” Takoor gave no figures or further information about the incident, saying that further details will become available later. Local media outlets, citing security sources, said at least 10 people were killed and eight others wounded. Residents living near the facility said a loud explosion was heard at about 8 a.m. Eyewitness Mohammad Fahim said: “We were near the scene of the incident in the morning. “God protected us. There were some casualties.” No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but a regional affiliate of Daesh has increased its assaults since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The security situation in the country has been deteriorating in recent months, with the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate claiming responsibility for multiple attacks that have targeted Russian, Pakistani and Chinese diplomats, and civilians in Kabul. Other targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority. At least two Chinese nationals and more than a dozen others were wounded last month when members of the group stormed a hotel and residential complex in the center of the city. The attacks come at a time when the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate is attempting to court international recognition as the official government of Afghanistan. Gen. Sadiq Shinwari, who was active during the previous Afghan administration, said that the recent attacks will affect stability in the country. He told Arab News: “If the Taliban do not pay attention to this point in security matters, then the situation may go out of control, not only in Afghanistan but also in the region, which will be a risk for instability in the future. “The international community may be forced to take action because of the threat of terrorist groups.”