At least seven killed as bombs hit 2 minivans in Kabul, says Afghan official

It wasn’t immediately clear what type of bombs were used and no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Separate bombs hit two minivans in a mostly Shia neighbourhood in the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring six others, the Interior Ministry said.

The attacks targeted minivans on the same road about 2 kilometers apart in a neighbourhood in western Kabul, Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Ahmad Zia Zia, said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what type of bombs were used and no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State group has carried out similar bombings in the area, including four attacks on four minivans earlier this month that killed at least 18 people.

The first explosion killed six people and injured two and the second explosion in front of Muhammad Ali Jinnah hospital, where a majority of COVID-19 patients are admitted, killed one and injured four.

The area where the explosions happened is largely populated by the minority Hazara ethnic group who are mostly Shia Muslims. Shias are a minority in mostly Sunni Afghanistan, and the local Islamic State affiliate has declared war against them.

Hundreds of Afghans are killed or injured every month in violence connected to the country’s constant war. But Hazaras, who make up around 9% of the population of 36 million people, stand alone in being intentionally targeted because of their ethnicity and their religion.

Violence and chaos continue to escalate in Afghanistan as the U.S. and NATO continue their withdrawal of the remaining 2,500-3,500 American soldiers and 7,000 allied forces. The last of the troops will be gone by Sept. 11 at the latest.