Kabul, Afghanistan – A grenade attack near a school in the Afghan capital on Monday afternoon resulted in injuries to multiple children, authorities have confirmed. The incident has prompted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the blast.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the Kabul police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, stated late Monday that “a number of children” had sustained injuries. He indicated that an investigation was underway but offered no further specific details regarding the attack or potential perpetrators.
The United Nations’ special rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, issued a condemnation on Tuesday, denouncing “the heinous attack harming numerous children near a school” that occurred the previous day. Afghan media reports suggest that approximately 50 children were wounded in the explosion.
The blast took place in an area of Kabul predominantly inhabited by the Hazara ethnic minority. The Hazara community, which constitutes about nine percent of Afghanistan’s population, has historically been subjected to significant attacks and persecution within the country. Primarily Shiite Muslims, they have been repeatedly targeted by extremist groups, including the Islamic State, and have faced discrimination in the predominantly Sunni nation.
This incident evokes memories of a similar tragedy in May 2021, just months before the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. At that time, three bombings at a school in Kabul killed dozens of people, predominantly young girls from the Hazara community. That school was also located in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood, which serves as the primary Hazara district in the capital.
In a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Mr. Bennett emphasized the necessity of an independent investigation to bring those responsible for the latest attack to justice. He added, “Once again this mainly Hazara part of Kabul has been targeted. Deplorable!”
The Chenab Times News Desk