In a deadly eruption of violence, an explosion tore through a minibus in Kabul’s western Dashti Barchi neighborhood on Tuesday evening, November 7, 2023, resulting in the death of at least seven people and injuring 20 others.
The blast occurred in an area predominantly inhabited by the Shiite Muslim Hazara community, which has repeatedly suffered attacks. Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion targeted the minibus carrying civilians, including women and children. The Islamic State group, has claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Dashti Barchi, a neighborhood known for its vulnerability to sectarian violence, has endured similar tragedies in recent weeks. This incident marks the second attack in the same neighborhood in a fortnight, following an explosion at a sports club that left four dead and several injured on October 26, 2023.
The Islamic State group, particularly its regional affiliate Islamic State-Khorasan or ISIS-K, has a history of targeting the Shiite Muslim community in Afghanistan, denouncing them as apostates. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, ISIS-K has intensified its campaign against the Shiite population, aiming to stir sectarian strife in the country’s already fragile security environment.
The United Nations has condemned the bombing, the latest in a series of attacks that represent an alarming trend of violence targeting civilians, particularly the Hazara Shiite community.
An immediate response to the attack saw security forces and emergency services rush to the site, cordoning off the area and ferrying the wounded to local hospitals. An investigation into the bombing is underway, with authorities examining the remnants of the explosion for clues.
The United States and other international entities have expressed concern over the rise in sectarian attacks in Afghanistan, emphasizing the need for all parties to protect civilians in line with international humanitarian law.
Afghanistan has witnessed an increase in such targeted attacks since the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the subsequent Taliban takeover. The instability has provided a fertile ground for ISIS-K to expand and assert its presence, often through brutal attacks on minorities and public spaces.