5 Chinese citizens injured in Monday's attack on Kabul hotel in Aghanistan

KABUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Five Chinese citizens sustained injuries in an explosion which hit a hotel in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday afternoon, Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu said Tuesday.

"More than a dozen Chinese citizens were in the hotel at the time of the attack, in which five Chinese citizens were injured," Wang told Xinhua.

Immediately after the incident, the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan activated an emergency response mechanism and sent a working group to the scene to assist the Afghan side in rescue and post-attack arrangements, Wang said.

On Tuesday morning, the ambassador went to the hospital in the Afghan capital to visit the injured Chinese citizens and conveyed the care of the Chinese government and the Chinese embassy.

Wang said that the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan had lodged solemn representations with the Afghan caretaker government, asking the Afghan side to spare no efforts to rescue the injured, thoroughly investigate the incident, bring the terrorists to justice and take further measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Afghanistan.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack through social media Tuesday.

In the recent two months, blasts have frequently occurred in various parts of Afghanistan, with the IS claiming to have carried out several attacks targeting schools, mosques and buses.