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| Taliban fighters stand guard at the explosion site, near a mosque, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. |
At least 23 people were killed in a suicide bombing attack on an education centre in Kabul, the majority 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 a neighbourhood with a high Hazara population—an ethnic minority group that has long been subjected to oppression.
At 7:30 a.m., students were taking a mock university entrance exam.According to Kabul Police Spokesman Khalid Zadran, the explosion first occurred.
Doctor Abdu Ghayas Momand from Ali Jinnah Hospital, where some of the victims have been taken, reported that 36 people had also been hurt in addition to the 23 deaths.
No one has claimed responsibility for the assault.
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| After a blast at an education centre in Kabul's capital on September 30, a woman rides up on a motorcycle to a hospital to look for a relative. |
Many of the casualties, according to eyewitness Taiba Mehtarkhil, were young women. When she heard about the attack and arrived at the centre to look 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 screaming. "Some were looking for their sons and daughters, while others were attempting to get emergency medical help for their loved ones. I personally witnessed about 20 people killed 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.
A second witness, a 20-year-old who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, said the explosion threw her to the ground while she was about 20 steps from the gate.
"When I entered, I noticed many of my classmates were covered in blood. She cried as she said, "I learned that the explosion had taken place inside my classroom.
"I was shocked at the time. I was merely calling out and looking for my friends. My closest friend, who was 19 and the smartest girl in our class, was not among those I discovered alive, she said.
She claimed that her classroom, which is the biggest in the facility, typically holds 500 male and female students.
"It's awful; I'm still in disbelief, and it feels like a nightmare. Many of my closest friends and classmates were killed by it. I don't want this to be seen as just another news story by the public. I want everyone to be aware of the suffering we are currently experiencing. I am completely heartbroken," she said.
In a tweet posted on Friday, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denounced the assault.
The attack on the Kaj training centre in Kabul's 13th district is deemed a serious crime by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which also strongly condemns it and offers its sincere condolences to the families of those killed.
He continued, "Serious steps will be taken to identify and punish the offenders."
In a tweet on Friday, UNICEF stated that it was "appalled by the horrific attack."
It stated that "this heinous act" left dozens of adolescent girls and boys dead and severely injured. Violence inside or outside of educational institutions is never acceptable. Children must be able to learn, socialise with friends, and feel safe in these settings as they develop the skills they will need in the future.
In a statement posted to Twitter, the US stated that it "strongly condemned the attack."
The Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan wrote, "Targeting a room full of students taking exams is shameful; all students should be able to pursue an education in peace and without fear."
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 report continued, "The Taliban authorities have done little to defend these communities against suicide bombings and other unlawful attacks or to provide essential medical care and other assistance to victims and their families.
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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