China has demanded the Taliban government protect its citizens following a deadly explosion at a Chinese restaurant in Kabul. The blast on Monday killed seven people, including one Chinese national and six Afghans, and injured others. The explosion happened in the heavily guarded Shahr-e-Naw area of the city. Authorities are investigating the cause, but the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, "China had made urgent representations with the Afghan side, demanding that the Afghan side spare no effort to treat the injured, further take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens." Police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the blast occurred near the kitchen of the Chinese Noodle restaurant, run by a Chinese Muslim man from Xinjiang, his wife, and their Afghan partner. Hospital staff received 20 people from the blast, seven of whom were dead on arrival. Four women and a child were among the injured. Witnesses reported a large hole in the building and a car outside destroyed. IS said China was "on the list" of its targets, citing China's actions against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, which China denies. IS has targeted Chinese interests before, including a 2022 attack on a Chinese-owned Kabul hotel. Recently, Chinese nationals in Tajikistan near the Afghan border have also been attacked, with six killed in November. China has warned its citizens against traveling to Afghanistan and advised those near the Tajik-Afghan border to leave.