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Afghanistan: Deadly blast rocks Kabul Shiite neighborhood

August 11, 2024

Local police said explosives were hidden in a minibus in a Shiite minority area of the capital. Shiite Muslims are a historically persecuted minority in the country, which has been under Taliban leadership since 2021.

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A general view shows residential buildings in the city of Kabul
The bomb went off in a western neighborhood of KabulImage: WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP

At least one person was killed and 11 others injured when a bomb hidden in a minibus exploded in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday.

"An IED [improvised explosive device] was planted on a minibus in the Dasht-e-Barchi area," said Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran, adding that an investigation was underway.

Islamic State group claims attack

The bombing, which took place around 4 p.m. local time (1130 GMT) in the neighborhood in the west of the capital, was claimed by the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist group via their Telegram channel.

The area is home to many Shiite Muslims — a historically persecuted minority in Afghanistan. Shiites have frequently been a target for the jihadist group group, which considers them heretics.

Bombings and other attacks have been significantly reduced since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, but IS offshoots are still thought to be active in the conflict-torn country.

mf/rmt (dpa, AFP)