Suicide bomb attack in heart of Kabul kills five

ISIL claims responsibility for deadly suicide bomb blast near government offices in the centre of the Afghan capital.

At least five people have been killed and 10 wounded in a
suicide bomb blast near government offices in the heart of
Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, according to police.

The incindent on Wednesday happened when a suicide
bomber on foot detonated his explosives about 100m from
the gate of the presidential palace and close to where the

Afghan finance ministry is located.

Al Jazeera's Qais Azimy, reporting from Kabul, said both
 the location and the timing of the attack were very important.

"It happened in District N.2 - almost at the heart of Kabul and
one of its safest parts," Azimy said.

"It also happened at the end of the working day, when 
most of the government employees working in the presidential palace and the finance ministry were rushing to go to their homes."

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) armed 
group claimed responsibility for the attack in an online post.

Azimy said ISIL's emergence in Afghanistan and its ability
 to launch such attacks raised further concerns in a country
already struggling to deal with an offensive by the Taliban
armed group.

"The people of Kabul and Afghanistan are now more 
worried because the Afghan security forces are really 
having a hard time to fight the Taliban, and no one is
 looking forward for a new group to emerge in this country," Azimy said.

ISIL's offshoot in Afghanistan in Pakistan, known as the so-
called Khorasan Province, was created in 2015.

The Afghan Taliban, who are trying to overthrow the US-
backed government in Kabul, is opposed to it and the two
have clashed as they seek to expand territory and influence.

US officials say intelligence suggests ISIL is based
overwhelmingly in Nangarhar and neighbouring Kunar province.

Estimates of its strength in Afghanistan vary. US officials 
have said they believe its has only 700 fighters but Afghan officials estimate it has about 1,500.