KABUL: The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the sticky bomb attack, which left one person dead and three others injured, according to Afghan police on Sunday.
The militant group has previously attacked an enclave of the historically persecuted Shia Hazara community, which is located close to the Kot-i-Sangi neighborhood, where the improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated. In a statement released late on Saturday, Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran claimed that “the sticky bomb was planted on a minibus.”
“Three other civilians were injured, and the driver of the vehicle lost his life.” The statement further stated that the situation was being looked into by security officers.
On its Telegram channel, the Islamic State (IS) group took credit for the incident, claiming that a minibus carrying Hazaras was blown up while it was passing through a checkpoint run by the Taliban. According to the IS statement, the attack “led to its destruction and the killing and wounding of around 10” persons.
Following their overthrow of the US-backed government and restoration to power in August 2021, the Afghan Taliban ceased their insurgency and a sharp decline in bombings and suicide assaults occurred in the country. Still, a number of armed organizations, such as IS, pose a concern.
