At least 23 people were killed in a suicide bombing attack on an education centre in Kabul, the most of whom are thought to be young women, and it is the latest indication of the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital.
The explosion happened on Friday at the Kaaj education centre, which is located in an area that is dominated by Hazara people, an ethnic minority community that has long been subjected to discrimination.
At 7:30 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET), students were taking a mock university entrance exam, according to Kabul Police Spokesman Khalid Zadran.
Doctor Abdu Ghayas Momand from Ali Jinah Hospital, where some of the victims have been taken, reported that 36 others had also been hurt in addition to the 23 fatalities.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.
Many of the casualties, according to eyewitness Taiba Mehtarkhil who spoke to CNN, were young women. When she heard about the incident and arrived at the centre to search for her friend, she was met with scenes of chaos and desolation, she claimed.
She recalled seeing parents and other family members of the Kaaj students running and yelling. “Others were searching for their sons and daughters, while others were attempting to get emergency medical help for their loved ones. I personally witnessed over 20 people slain and numerous others injured.”
Mehtarkhil’s friend escaped the attack because, according to her, she was running late and wasn’t in the classroom when the explosion happened.
The Hazara community has been the target of numerous attacks ever since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
According to Human Rights Watch, the Islamic State of Khorasan Province has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against the Hazara people and has been implicated in three more, which have left at least 700 people dead or injured.
The study said, “The Taliban authorities have done little to defend these towns against suicide bombs and other unlawful acts or to give essential medical care and other support to victims and their relatives.
Numerous people have died in a series of attacks in Kabul in recent weeks.
Two Russian embassy employees were among the six fatalities in a suicide bombing that occurred earlier this month close to the Russian embassy. In August, a mosque explosion that occurred during evening prayers claimed the lives of 21 people and injured 33 others.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
