Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
November 17, 2021
Two explosions hit the Afghan capital, Kabul, on November 17, killing one person and wounding six others, Afghan media said.
The casualties were reported in the first blast that occurred in the mainly Hazara neighborhood of Dasht-e Barchi in Kabul’s west, TOLOnews said, citing a Taliban official.
Three women were among the wounded in Dasht-e Barchi, said Saeed Khosti, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the Taliban-led government.
The second explosion happened several hours later in the Charahi Shaid neighborhood, also west of Kabul, TOLOnews and several other local news agencies said.
Eyewitnesses said there were casualties in the second blast, but the exact numbers were not immediately clear. The Taliban hasn’t commented on the Charahi Shaid incident.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but a local Islamic State (IS) affiliate has carried out similar assaults on the Shi’ite Hazara community in the past.
IS has unleashed bombings against Hazara mosques, hospitals, and schools, killing hundreds of civilians, including many children.
Over the past five weeks, IS claimed responsibility for three deadly bombings in Hazara mosques in Nangarhar, Kandahar, and Kunduz provinces.
IS also targets Taliban fighters and other civilians.
The Taliban-led government claimed last week that it had arrested some 600 IS members, including key figures and financial supporters. It said that dozens of IS fighters have been killed in gunbattles with Taliban security forces recently.
Based on reporting by Ap and TOLOnews.com