Afghan officials say a suicide bomber has blown himself up at a bank in the center of Kabul, killing at least five people and wounding eight others.
Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the bomber hit the entrance to a Kabul Bank branch on August 29, about 500 meters from the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy compound.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted security forces personnel withdrawing their salaries.
Attacks on banks where soldiers and police withdraw their salaries have become a regular tactic of the extremist group.
The latest attack comes ahead of this week's Eid al-Adha celebrations closing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and a week after President Donald Trump outlined the new U.S. strategy for the war-torn country.
Kabul has seen an increase in attacks lately. On August 25, 28 people -- including women and children -- were reported killed and more than 50 others wounded in an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Kabul claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
