Kabul (Monitoring Desk) At least 42 children were injured in an explosion at an education center in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.
According to a news agency, the explosion occurred in the area on Monday evening, where a large number of members of the Hazara and Shia communities reside. Civilians and educational institutions in Dasht-e-Barchi have also been targeted in attacks in the past.
According to a Kabul hospital, at least 35 injured students brought in after the explosion were between 10 and 14 years old. Hospital authorities said all the injured suffered shrapnel wounds, while at least three children required surgery.
No definitive information about the cause of the explosion or those responsible was immediately available. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called for an investigation into the incident, while UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett described the explosion as a serious attack.
The European Union’s Afghanistan mission also condemned the deliberate targeting of children and educational centers, calling such incidents unacceptable.
Educational institutions in Dasht-e-Barchi have been targeted in attacks before. In May 2021, at least 85 people were killed in an attack on a school, while at least 19 people were killed in a suicide attack on an education center in September 2022.