Kabul, August 19 (IANS) Several international bodies and rights groups have strongly condemned the grenade explosion near the Sham-e Hedayat private school in Afghanistan that injured over 52 people, most of them children.
The incident took place on Monday in Dasht-e Barchi region, a densely populated area of western Kabul that has witnessed several deadly attacks in the past, including violence targeting schools and educational institutions.
The area, home to a large Hazara and Shia community, has faced recurring security threats over the years.
Taliban police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said that the blast was caused by a hand grenade, but provided no further details about who was carrying the grenade or how it detonated, local media reported.
Describing the incident as “deeply disturbing” , human rights body Amnesty International called for a thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation, saying it must be conducted in line with international law and standards. The rights body also said that those found responsible must be brought to justice through fair trials.
“Dasht-e-Barchi, a predominantly Hazara-populated area of Kabul, has endured more than a decade of repeated attacks on schools, mosques, public transport and healthcare facilities by various armed groups. The Taliban, as the de facto authorities, must ensure the protection of civilians including religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan,” Amnesty International stated.
Meanwhile, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) voiced serious concern over the blast which injured several children and called for the safety, dignity and rights of all children to be respected and protected at all times.
“Our thoughts are with the injured children, their families and all those affected. Schools must be safe places #ForEveryChild. Children should never be a target and exposed to violence or harm,” UNICEF Afghanistan posted on X,
Expressing grave concern over the incident, the European Union (EU) stressed that schools must remain safe spaces for children and that attacks targeting educational institutions are “unacceptable.”
In a post on X, EU in Afghanistan said, “We are deeply concerned by an explosion near Sham-e-Hedayat School, Dasht-e-Barchi, injuring dozens of students. Swift recovery to the injured; sympathies to families & school community. Schools must be safe; deliberate attacks on children & education centers are unacceptable,” EU in Afghanistan posted on X.
Following the explosion, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that children injured in the explosion at the education centre in the Dasht-e Barchi were aged between 9 and 14 years, while calling for an investigation into the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the children injured and their families. We call for an investigation to establish the circumstances of this incident. Schools and education centres must be kept safe,” said UNAMA
–IANS
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