The death toll from the explosion that occurred on Saturday in Kabul, Afghanistan, has risen to around 208 dead and injured, according to Afghan officials. On Sunday, Afghan authorities reported that the number of fatalities from the blast, which took place yesterday evening in front of a school in Kabul, has reached 58, while doctors are making strenuous efforts to provide medical care to around 150 injured individuals.
The explosion occurred in the Dasht-e Barchi district, which is located in the western part of the capital and is predominantly inhabited by Shia residents, as reported by Reuters. ISIS had previously targeted the Shia minority in Afghanistan. A witness told Reuters that all the victims, except for 7 or 8 individuals, were students returning home after classes, coinciding with residents shopping in preparation for Eid al-Fitr, which is next week.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused the Taliban of carrying out the attack; however, a spokesperson for the group denied any involvement and stated that the Taliban condemns any attacks on Afghan civilians. Shortly after the attack on Saturday evening, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters, "Unfortunately, 25 martyrs and 52 injured have been evacuated from the site to hospitals."
The explosion follows a week after the historic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, as per President Joe Biden's decision. Biden had promised to complete the withdrawal to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, which led to U.S. forces deploying to Afghanistan.
