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KABUL – An explosion rocked western Kabul on Thursday, killing at least four worshippers in a mosque and leaving nine individuals critically injured, according to a statement from Kabul police spokesperson. The cause of the explosion remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Video footage captured at the scene depicts a building with shattered windows and flames billowing from within, while debris litters the street below. This incident occurred in the Dashti Barchi area of Kabul, an area that has been previously targeted by the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan. The group has carried out horrifying attacks on schools, hospitals, and mosques in the past, particularly in Shiite areas of the country.
The violence perpetrated by the Daesh has escalated since the Taliban assumed power in August 2021, casting a cloud of uncertainty over the region.
The Thursday evening blast occurred at a boxing club, and its cause remains unknown. Khalid Zadran, the spokesman for the Kabul police chief, reported that the injured are in critical condition, and investigations into the incident are ongoing. Initial reports indicated two fatalities and nine injuries.
Post-explosion footage reveals significant damage to the building, with blown-out windows and flames still burning within. The street below is strewn with shattered glass and debris. The extent of the devastation became more apparent on Friday morning, with visible craters in the ground and the interior of the boxing club nearly gutted. Workers navigated through a scene of boxing gloves and gym equipment on a blood-splattered floor.
Eyewitness Sultan Ali Amini recounted a higher casualty count, with at least six people dead and over 15 injured. “The walls are destroyed, and all the glass and metal are broken,” he stated, painting a grim picture of the aftermath.
The discrepancy in death toll figures provided by the Taliban has yet to be clarified. In the past, the group has been slow to confirm casualty numbers in the wake of such attacks. The Dashti Barchi area in Kabul remains a focal point for such violence, and the Islamic State continues its campaign of terror since the Taliban’s ascent to power in August 2021.
