One person was killed and several others wounded after a powerful explosion rocked the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan on August 30.

The embassy, located in the southern part of the capital city of Bishkek, is believed to have been hit by a suicide car bombing incident. The car appeared to have rammed the embassy’s gate before exploding, the 24.kg news agency reported. The driver died while three other people, including embassy staff, were injured.

Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Prime Minister Zhenish Razakov called the incident a “suicide car bombing attack”. “A suicide bomber was driving Mitsubishi Delica car. All injured are Kyrgyz citizens,” Razakov said, according to Interfax.

China condemned the attack and called on the Kyrgyz authorities to quickly investigate and punish anyone involved. “China is deeply shocked by this and strongly condemns this violent and extreme act,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing in Beijing, according to Reuters. No group claimed responsibility.

Police cordoned off the building and the adjacent area and the Kyrgyz state security service, GKNB, said it was investigating the blast. The Chinese and US embassies in Kyrgyzstan are now evacuating their staff, 24.kg reports.

Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked former Soviet republic that borders China, has a predominantly Muslim population. Kyrgyz authorities regularly detain suspected Islamist militants they accuse of having links with Islamic State.

As many as 326 Kyrgyz nationals are fighting for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, according to data from the Kyrgyz security services.