Kabul, Oct 7 (IANS) Two civilians were injured in a blast in the northern Afghan province of Badakhshan on Wednesday, provincial police spokesman Ehsanullah Kamgar said.
“Two civilians who were riding in a car were slightly injured when an explosive device inside a vase exploded in the Hangar area of Faizabad city this morning,” Kamgar said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Police have also arrested four people in connection with the incident, and an investigation is underway, the official said, without giving further details.
In August, more than 52 people, including children, were injured in Afghanistan following a grenade explosion near the Sham-e Hedayat private school in Dasht-e Barchi area of western Kabul, local media reported, citing security officials and witnesses.
Taliban police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said that the blast was caused by a hand grenade, but provided no further details about who was carrying the grenade or how it detonated.
According to witnesses, the grenade exploded while in the possession of a school student, who was also wounded in the blast. The circumstances under which the student acquired the grenade and why it was detonated remain unknown, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported.
The incident took place in Dasht-e Barchi, a densely populated area of western Kabul that has witnessed several deadly attacks in the past, including violence targeting schools and educational institutions.
The area, home to a large Hazara and Shia community, has faced recurring security threats over the years.
The explosion renewed concerns over the safety of students and civilians in the area, amid the continued presence of explosive materials and weapons after decades of conflict.
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett strongly condemned the “heinous attack”, calling for an independent probe into the incident and accountability for those responsible.
“I condemn the heinous attack harming numerous children near a school in Dasht-e Barchi yesterday. Once again, this mainly Hazara part of Kabul has been targeted. Deplorable! A full and independent investigation with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice is essential,” Bennett posted on X on Tuesday.
–IANS
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