An incident unfolded in Kabul on Saturday evening as one person lost their life and three others sustained injuries in an explosion, Afghan police confirmed.
The Islamic State group has asserted responsibility for the sticky bomb attack.
The improvised explosive device went off in the Kot-e-Sangi neighborhood, close to a community of Shiite Hazaras, historically marginalized and frequently targeted by the militant group.
According to Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran, the explosive was placed on a minibus.
“The driver of the vehicle lost his life, and three other civilians were injured,” Zadran shared in a statement issued late Saturday.
Further investigations by security personnel are underway, as mentioned in the statement.
On their Telegram channel, the Islamic State group claimed the attack, stating that a Taliban checkpoint was crossed by a minibus carrying Hazaras, leading to the blast, the destruction of the vehicle, and casualties. The IS message reported around 10 individuals being killed or wounded as a result of the bombing.
While the frequency of bombings and suicide attacks has notably decreased since the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, various armed factions, including IS, continue to pose a threat in Afghanistan.
Just last month, a fatal incident occurred when an IS suicide bomber struck a bank in Kabul, resulting in multiple casualties. Despite official reports citing three deaths, hospital sources informed AFP that the toll amounted to 20 lives lost in the attack.
