The terrorist attack at the "Chinese Noodles" restaurant in Kabul occurred on January 19. Initially, local authorities explained the explosion as an accident related to a gas cylinder; however, the scale of the destruction forced them to acknowledge that it was a terrorist act. Later, the Taliban's Ministry of Interior confirmed that at least seven people were killed in the attack, including one Chinese citizen (according to unofficial reports, two Chinese nationals died). The Afghan branch of ISIS also published photographs of the suicide bomber who carried out the attack.
ISIS propagandists claimed that the attack was a response to China's actions regarding Uyghur Muslims; however, experts believe that the militants may have acted under the direction of one of the Taliban factions, indicating more complex motives.
According to Afghan sources, the explosion resulted in the death of a Chinese citizen known as Ayub, who was leading the Kabul office of the Chinese charity organization Dahleez Wakhan at the time of his death. In reality, this organization is a structure subordinate to the Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China, and sources claim that Ayub was a resident of Chinese intelligence, and his death could have been a targeted act.
Despite many linking his murder to the oppression of Uyghurs, sources assert that Ayub actively interacted with the Haqqani family, a group recognized as terrorist in Russia. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of this clan, is simultaneously the Taliban's Minister of Interior and an opponent of the Canadian faction led by Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada.
According to available information, Ayub helped the Haqqani family establish contacts with Chinese businessmen and officials, and his activities may have threatened the interests of American partners. In particular, he organized a trip for Anas Haqqani to Doha for a secret meeting with high-ranking Chinese officials, where they discussed the return of a contract for an oil field that had previously been handed over to a Turkish company.
The growing ties between the Haqqani network and Chinese authorities have caused discontent among other Taliban factions, as evidenced by a warning received by the Taliban from Chinese intelligence regarding a threat to the "Chinese Noodles" restaurant. However, as events showed, this warning was not taken seriously.
The "NG" has a secret document confirming that Chinese intelligence had notified the Taliban in advance about a possible threat. It specifically mentioned the need to strengthen security measures around the restaurant; however, these recommendations were not implemented.
Ayub's death in the terrorist attack on January 19 highlights the ineffectiveness or unwillingness of Taliban intelligence to prevent this crime, despite having accurate information from their Chinese counterparts.
According to Afghan sources, the Chinese side is actively involved in the inter-factional struggle among the Taliban, supporting one of the factions in its quest for power and resources. The attack on January 19 could have been organized or allowed as part of the struggle for influence within the Taliban, serving as a warning to Chinese representatives.
Some factions of the Taliban's GUR, under the control of the Canadian leadership, are clearly dissatisfied with the growing ties with the Haqqanis and may have deliberately failed to prevent the attack, despite the warning from Chinese intelligence.
At this point, it is unclear whether there is an "American trace" in this story, although it is known that the CIA has connections with some leaders of Taliban intelligence and is likely not interested in strengthening relations between China and the Haqqanis.
Local analysts believe that instability in Afghanistan is due to a complex combination of corruption, intelligence operations, and internal power struggles, with foreign players like China actively exacerbating these internal disagreements.
