An explosion in downtown Kabul on Monday has killed at least seven people and wounded about a dozen more, according to police and an Italian charity.

Spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion struck at a hotel in the Shahr-e-Naw district, causing a number of casualties. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said the blast had caused both deaths and injuries, and that the cause was being investigated. Neither had details on the number of casualties.

An Islamic State attack targeting Chinese citizens killed at least seven people on a crowded street in Afghanistan on Monday.

Against this backdrop, IS-KP has sharpened its rhetoric against China. In claiming the Kabul attack, the group alleged that Beijing is persecuting Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region and declared Chinese nationals “legitimate targets” on Afghan soil.

Council reaffirms that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to peace and security in Afghanistan, as well as in the world' - Anadolu Ajansı

A bombing claimed by the Islamic State wing in Afghanistan killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen in a Chinese restaurant in Kabul

The Islamic State group says they were behind the blast in Kabul, but police say they are still investigating the cause.