A suicide bomber struck outside the Afghan Interior Ministry on Wednesday, allowing gunmen to pass through an outer gate where they traded fire with security forces, who eventually killed the attackers, officials said. Gen. Daud Amin, the Kabul police chief, said seven attackers were killed and that cleanup operations were underway. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said one policeman was killed and five were wounded. It appeared to be a rare victory for Afghan security forces, who have struggled to secure the capital in recent months. The Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate have carried out a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and the country’s Shiite minority, that have killed hundreds of people. Both groups have also expanded their footprint in the countryside.

A suicide bomber struck outside the Afghan Interior Ministry on Wednesday, allowing gunmen to pass through an outer gate where they traded fire with security forces, who eventually killed the attackers, officials said. Gen. Daud Amin, the Kabul police chief, said seven attackers were killed and that cleanup operations were underway. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said one policeman was killed and five were wounded. It appeared to be a rare victory for Afghan security forces, who have struggled to secure the capital in recent months. The Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate have carried out a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and the country’s Shiite minority, that have killed hundreds of people. Both groups have also expanded their footprint in the countryside.