Upto 50 people have been killed in a sectarian targeted bomb attack in front of an educational center in a mainly Shia Muslim area of western Kabul, Dasht-i-Barchi.
“We can confirm the attack was caused by a bomber on foot. The bomber detonated himself inside the education center,” said police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai.
The ministries of interior and health confirmed that at least 60 people were injured. No immediate claim of responsibility was taken for the blast. However, previous attacks on Shia targets have been claimed by Daesh terrorists.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said last year civilian casualties in sectarian attacks across Afghanistan, primarily against Shia mosques, had sharply risen.
The Hazara Shia community, prevalent in Afghanistan, is one of the poorest communities in the country and accounts for about 22 percent of Afghanistan’s population. The communities have systematically been targeted in large-scale kidnappings and killings across Afghanistan before.
Earlier in August, upto 40 were killed and dozens injured in a shooting and bombing attack on Shia worshippers in eastern Afghanistan near Pakistan’s border. The attack took place in the city of Gardez, the center of Paktia province.
In December 2017, dozens were killed in an attack on a Shia cultural center. Daesh had claimed responsibility.
