Aftermath of blast at wrestling club in Kabul, September 5, 2018. Photo: Social Media
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
September 5, 2018
Twin bombings at a wrestling training center in a predominately Shi’ite neighborhood of Afghanistan’s capital has killed at least 20 people and wounded 70 others, the Interior Ministry says.
Officials said a suicide bomber on September 5 blew himself up inside the sports hall, which is located in Dasht-e Barchi in western Kabul.
A car bomb went off nearby less than an hour after, as journalists and security forces gathered at the scene.
A reporter and a cameraman from Afghanistan’s largest broadcaster, Tolo News, were among those killed and four other local television crew were wounded, according to NAI, a group supporting open media in the country.
“An attack on civilians and media workers of the country is an attack on freedom of speech and crime against humanity,” President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement.
At least seven police were also among those wounded, according to Kabul’s police chief, General Daud Amin.
The extremist group Islamic State (IS), which often targets Afghanistan’s Shi’a community, claimed responsibility for the twin bombings on its affiliated Amaq news agency.
On August 15, a suicide bombing at an education center in Dasht-e Barchi killed dozens of students in an attack also claimed by IS militants, who view Shi’a as apostates deserving death.
On August 15, a suicide bombing at an education center in Dasht-e Barchi killed dozens of students.
IS militants, who view Shi’a as apostates deserving death, claimed responsibility for that attack.
Journalists have paid a heavy price covering the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan.
At least 11 were killed in the first six months of the year, according to the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee.
A suicide bombing killed nine journalists in Kabul on April 30, in what became the deadliest single day for reporters in the country since the 2001 U.S. invasion.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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