By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – At least 3 civilians were killed and 12 wounded in two back-to-back blasts in the Afghan capital Kabul late Sunday, an official confirmed.
Firdaus Faramarz, the spokesman for the Kabul police command, told Anadolu Agency the blasts rocked the Sar-e-Karez and Pul-e-Sokhta neighborhoods in the western part of the capital. Confirming the death toll, he said the attacks are being investigated.
According to multiple eyewitnesses, two passenger mini-buses were hit by magnetic blasts, causing the casualties.
With no claim of responsibility for a string of such attacks, the Afghan government has been pointing fingers at the Taliban, a charge the insurgents deny.
On Saturday, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed a UN Security Council statement condemning the rising number of attacks deliberately targeting civilians in the country.
Ceasing violence, ending targeted killings, and establishing a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire are critical for a political settlement and to achieve sustainable peace in Afghanistan, the ministry said in a statement.
Figures from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan suggest 3,035 civilians were killed and 5,785 injured in attacks in 2020, with a significant rise in targeted assassinations since direct talks between Kabul and the Taliban began last September.
