Five killed in suicide bomb blast in northeastern Afghanistan, say police

At least five people were killed when a suicide bomber with explosives strapped to his body self-detonated outside a bank in northeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, police said.

The blast took place at 8:35am (0405 GMT) near the Kabul Bank branch in Kunduz province, killing the bank's security guard and four others including civilians and members of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement, police said.

"A suicide bomber, who had improvised explosive devices, detonated himself," said Jumadin Khaksar, police spokesperson for Kunduz province. Seven people were wounded, he added.

He said civilians, civil servants and members of the Taliban security forces were among those killed.

"The Kunduz Province Police Command is working with relevant organisations to find the perpetrators of the incident and bring them to justice," he said. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attack.

In March last year, a suicide bomber killed at least three people when he detonated a bomb outside a bank in the southern city of Kandahar, in an attack claimed by the regional chapter of Daesh.

The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has markedly declined since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government.

However, a number of armed groups — including Daesh — remain a threat