Afghan school blast injures at least 42 children: UN

A blast at an education centre in Kabul’s western Dasht-e-Barchi area injured at least 42 children, aged between nine and 14, the UN mission in Afghanistan said Tuesday.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it had yet to confirm the circumstances of Monday’s explosion, citing conflicting reports that it may have been an attack or caused by unexploded ordnance.

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett condemned what he called a “heinous attack” near a school in the area, which is home to Afghanistan’s historically persecuted Shiite Hazara community.

Afghanistan’s Directorate of Mine Action Coordination said a grenade exploded at the school on Monday afternoon, corroborating details earlier reported by Kabul police.

UNAMA called for an investigation into the incident and stressed that schools and education centres must remain safe.

The blast occurred as children were being dismissed from the private primary school, according to a nearby resident who spoke to AFP anonymously. The school later posted a message on Facebook asking people to pray for the injured.

Dasht-e-Barchi has witnessed several deadly attacks in recent years, including a 2021 car bombing outside a girls’ school that killed at least 90 people and injured hundreds. The Islamic State’s regional affiliate, Daesh, has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in the area targeting members of the Shiite Hazara community.