A would-be suicide bomber was shot dead on Thursday outside Kabul’s main passport office, police said, as hundreds of Taliban fighters lined up for travel documents on a day reserved exclusively for their applications.
“He was identified and killed at a checkpoint at the entrance,” Mobin Khan, spokesman for Kabul police, told AFP.
There have been several attacks against Taliban fighters since their return to power in August, most claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State group.
Around 200 Taliban fighters had gathered at the passport office from dawn after authorities announced that Thursdays would be set aside exclusively for them to apply for passports.
Taliban authorities stopped issuing passports after the hardline group returned to power on August 15, citing staff issues, faulty equipment and a lack of supplies.
