At least five people were killed and seven were injured, on Tuesday (Feb 11), when a suicide bomber laden with explosives, detonated outside a bank in northeastern Afghanistan, said the police.

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The explosion occurred at 8:35 a.m. (0405 GMT) near the Kabul Bank branch in Kunduz province, claiming the lives of the bank's security guard and four others including civilians and Taliban security forces.

The seven people wounded in the blast targeted a queue who was waiting to collect their salaries from the bank in the city of Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz province. 

"A suicide bomber, who had improvised explosive devices, detonated himself," said Jumadin Khaksar, police spokesman for Kunduz province.

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He said that civil servants, civilians 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."

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In March 2024, a suicide bomber killed at least three people when he exploded a bomb outside a bank in the southern city of Kandahar, in an attack whose responsibility was claimed by the regional chapter of the Islamic State (IS).

No outfit has yet claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack.

The number of explosions and suicide attacks has witnessed a significant declined since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government.

However, several groups, including IS, still remain a threat.

(With inputs from agencies)