On Tuesday, at least six people in the Hazara Shia-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi area of western Kabul were killed after two educational institutions were targeted in a series of blasts.
While no group has taken responsibility for the blasts, the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP, ISIS-K) has often claimed responsibility for attacks in the area and targeted the Shia minority, whom the group views as heretics.
Another carnage. Same place. Same victims. And most probably the same perpetrator. Multiple explosions rip through a boys' school in a Shia-dominated neighborhood of Kabul, killing at least 20 students. Casualties likely to mount. #KabulBleeds pic.twitter.com/MxbBBsfsnI
— Syed Zafar Mehdi (@mehdizafar) April 19, 2022
The first blast took place at the Mumtaz Training Centre, where no casualties were reported. Subsequently, two blasts were reported at the Abdul Raheem Shaheed school—the first occurred when the students were coming out of the building and the second explosive went off as emergency personnel arrived to rescue and treat victims of the first blast.
“It was a mine placed in advance. The students were wounded by the first blast and then the people gathered while the second blast happened,” Khalid Zadran, a spokesperson for the Department of Security, said.
I condemn the deadly attacks on schools in Kabul and send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 19, 2022
Attacks against civilians & civilian infrastructure, including schools, are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Citing public hospital data, Jawed Hazhir, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, declared five deaths and 20 injuries. In contrast, the Kabul Department of Security said six people had died and 11 were injured. According to the Emergency Hospital in Kabul, ten children were injured in the incident, with several now in critical condition.
According to eyewitnesses cited by Tolo News, the true death count is likely higher and could rise considering the injuries sustained.
Several prominent Afghan political leaders have condemned the attacks, with former President Hamid Karzai calling it a “crime against humanity.” He also claimed that the incident was an attempt to disrupt peace in the country, adding, “It is a clear enmity with knowledge and education.”
Kabul Explosion Update: at least 25 school students were killed in two-back-to-back explosions in the school in the west of #Kabul- Dasht-e-Barchi area, says Zekrya Ulfat a teacher “while students were getting out of the school the explosions happened,” he adds. pic.twitter.com/Pclr3XQDON
— Zahra Rahimi (@ZahraSRahimi) April 19, 2022
In a similar vein, former chair for the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah called the perpetrators “enemies of peace and development in Afghanistan.” Similarly, former lawmaker Fazlullah Hadi Muslimyar said that the unjustifiable incident was “horrendous, coercive, and cruel.”
The incident has also been denounced by international organisations such as the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation and rights groups like Save The Children and Amnesty International.
Along the same lines, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan condemned the “heinous attack” and called for the perpetrators to be “brought to justice.” Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres remarked that the incidents were “ghastly.” “Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” he stressed.
UNAMA unequivocally condemns heinous attack on schools in #Kabul today. Those responsible for the crime targeting schools & children must be brought to justice. @UN envoy @DeborahLyonsUN extends deepest sympathies to victims’ families & wishes for speedy recovery for the wounded. pic.twitter.com/lrenTFvRSC
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) April 19, 2022
Likewise, the United States (US) Chargé d’Affaires Ian McCary regretted the “horrific” incident and called on authorities to ensure that Afghans are allowed to “pursue their studies safely and without fear.” Similarly, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price reiterated the right of Afghan children to access education “safely and without fear of violence.”
Iran and Qatar also released statements condemning the incident.
Also read: The Taliban is in a Catch-22 Situation With ISIS-K and the West
Residents say the Abdul Raheem Shaheed school has been threatened on several previous occasions. In fact, educational institutions in Afghanistan have frequently faced the threat of terrorist attacks. For instance, in May 2021, three consecutive bombs targeting female students in the Dasht-e-Barchi area resulted in 85 deaths and 300 injuries.
Much of this threat emanates from the ISKP, or Daesh, which continues to undermine the Taliban’s goal of maintaining peace and security in Afghanistan. Last November, the ISKP claimed responsibility for an attack on a military hospital in Kabul that resulted in 19 deaths. The group also orchestrated an attack on a Shia mosque in Kandahar that killed 60 people.
This is how the Taliban treat the relatives of the victims of today’s deadly Kabul attack on a school in the West of the city. The Taliban solution to everything seems to be violence, threat and humiliation. pic.twitter.com/3C2T1HGjCl
— Zia Shahreyar l ضیا شهریار (@ziashahreyar) April 19, 2022
However, the Taliban claims that its fighters have defeated the ISKP and eliminated its strongholds in the country. In fact, in October and November, citizens reported spotting bodies hanging from trees, which the Taliban claimed were corpses of Islamic State (IS) militants. The Taliban has attributed this to its mastery of guerilla warfare and its widespread network, which spans mosques and madrassas.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia this February, Dr. Basirmal, the Taliban’s Intelligence Services chief, boldly declared, “There is no ISIS, not just in Nangarhar Province, but all of Afghanistan.”
Experts, however, believe that the Taliban’s claim of eradicating the ISKP is grossly exaggerated and merely an attempt to pacify the international community, which has placed a precondition that any recognition of the legitimacy of the Taliban government depends on the group’s ability to ensure that Afghanistan is not used as a safe haven for terrorists.
According to Asafandyar Mir, a senior researcher at the United States Institute of Peace, the ISKP has been recruiting those “disgruntled by the Taliban” for their “indiscriminate and wayward” counter-insurgency operations.
The Islamic State has also stepped up attacks in northwestern Pakistan, specifically in the regions bordering Afghanistan. According to data cited by the Associated Press, ISIS carried out 52 attacks in Pakistan between January and March that resulted in 155 deaths.