ISIS extremist group claimed responsibility over attack

An ISIS-attack on the Iraqi Embassy is now over, with all three ISIS fighters killed and heavy damage to the embassy building. A suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then three gunmen stormed the compound, according to Afghan officials.

Several large explosions were heard during a four-hour firefight between Afghan security forces and militants in the embassy. Afghan police officials initially said the attack was launched with a car bomb. 

An ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the suicide attack that targeted the embassy, according to the group’s Amaq news agency. 

A spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry, Najib Danish, told Associated Press that Iraqi diplomats had been rescued and all the embassy staff were safe, adding that three gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack. 

A spokesperson for Iraq's Foreign Ministry, Ahmad Jamal, condemned the “terrorist attack.” He said that they have evacuated their Charge d'Affaires to the Egyptian embassy and were trying to evacuate two more staff of the embassy. 

Witnesses reported hearing at least two explosions and seeing the bodies of Afghan police on the street. Danish told AP that there were no casualties among the police or civilians, but one policeman was wounded. ISIS claimed to have killed seven guards. 

The Iraqi Embassy is located outside of the heavily fortified “green zone” in the Afghan capital. After declaring Mosul liberated from ISIS earlier in July, Iraqi forces are gearing up to launch offensives on remaining ISIS holdouts in the country, including Tal Afar west of Mosul, Hawija southwest of Kirkuk, and areas of Anbar province