Two people were killed and 11 injured after a suicide bomber detonated explosives near the entrance of the Russian Embassy in Kabul, police said on Monday, adding the attacker was shot dead by armed guards as he approached the gate. “The suicide attacker before reaching the target, was recognized and shot by Russian embassy (Taliban) guards ... there is no information about casualties yet,” Mawlawi Sabir, the head of the police district where the attack took place, told Reuters.

No information was available yet about any deaths or injuries to Russian embassy staff, he added. Russia is one of the few countries to have maintained an embassy in Kabul after the Taliban took over the country more than a year ago. Although Moscow does not officially recognize the Taliban’s government, they have been in talks with officials over an agreement to supply gasoline and other commodities.