The Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate has claimed a suicide attack in the capital that killed seven people.

The group says in a statement Sunday that four "martyrdom seekers" targeted the Telecommunications Ministry the day before. Afghan officials say a suicide bomber struck outside the ministry, clearing the way for four other gunmen to enter the heavily-guarded compound in central Kabul.

All the attackers were killed in an hours-long gunbattle. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in the number of attackers.

IS has carried out several attacks in Afghanistan in recent years, mainly targeting the country's Shiite minority. They have also clashed with the larger and more well-established Taliban.