ISLAMABAD -- A suicide attack on the Russian Embassy in Kabul has underscored anew the tenuous security situation in Afghanistan and Central Asia, presenting challenges for both the Taliban and a Kremlin focused on its invasion of Ukraine.
ISIS-K, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, has claimed responsibility for the Sept. 5 bombing at the entrance of the Russian mission, which killed eight people, including two embassy staffers. The group's official news outlet, Amaq, said the bomber detonated an explosive belt at "a gathering of Russian employees and a number of spies and contractors, in addition to members of the Taliban."