Kabul: At least six persons were killed and dozens including students were wounded in four serial explosions outside schools here today. The first blast happened at around 7 a.m., and the next three about three hours later at a public high school in the Shia-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi locality in the morning hours. Observers quickly noted that Shiites were always a target during the Taliban insurgency. However, no group had thus far taken responsibility for the blasts.
The first explosion rocked a private Mumtaz Education Centre that imparted training to both students for nationwide entrance examinations of the University there. The other three explosions hit the nearby Abdul Rahim Shaheed High School around 10 a.m.
Khalid Zadran, a Kabul police spokesperson, tweeted around 2 pm that according to preliminary statistics, “in the series of explosions this morning that took place in the entrance gate of the school of Martyr Abdul Rahim in the area of District 6, 6 of our compatriots were martyred and 11 others were injured. Security forces are currently on the scene and an investigation has been launched into the attack.”
Today’s blasts are a stark reminder of last year’s explosions outside a girls’ school in the neighbourhood that killed 90 persons, many of them teenage girls who were coming out of their class.
Also read: Afghanistan bleeds; Explosions claim more lives while Saturday triple-blast toll reaches 85
In Washington, Ned Price, Department Spokesperson of the United States StateDepartment issued a statement expressing the USA’s “outrage” over “today’s heinous attacks”.
While offering condolences to the families and other loved ones of those killed in these cowardly acts, the US demanded that the perpetrators must be brought to justice. “All Afghan children deserve to pursue their studies safely and without fear of violence,” Price said.
Photo credit: Wazhma Tokhi @WazhmaTokhi|Twitter
– global bihari bureau
