Number of Casualties in Suicide Attack in Western Kabul Increase

Abdul Nafi Takor, the spokesperson of the Taliban's Ministry of Interior, has confirmed the explosion and added that the explosion took place on Friday morning at the Kaj educational center in Police District 13 of Kabul.

The victims of the explosion are from the ethnic Hazara community of Afghanistan who are predominantly Shia and have been the victims of such attacks in the past years as well.

According to residents, the target of the explosion were the students who were present at the center for university entrance preparation exam.

Residents alleged that the Taliban members have prevented relatives of the victims from entering the hospitals where injured and dead bodies have been transferred.

A reporter from Kabul told Afghanistan International that the Taliban did not allow reporters to approach the scene.

Witnesses, too, said that the ambulance service has not been available for timely transfer of victims to the hospitals.

Iranian officials have claimed that after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the number of Afghan immigrants in Iran has reached five million.

Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had said that Iran is worried about the current situation regarding migration of Afghans.

In the past year, Iran has asked for support from the United Nations to deal with Afghan refugee issues.

In her speech at the UN Security Council, Ershadi also expressed concern about the emergence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

According to Iranian media reports, this diplomat said that the Taliban should be committed to fighting terrorism, guaranteeing all appropriate steps to support diplomatic and consular missions of Iran.

She emphasised that Afghanistan should no longer become a safe haven for Islamic State-Khurasan and Al-Qaeda members.

The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad has confirmed the release of these detained Afghans who had been detained due to their illegal stay in Pakistan.

Haji Nazar Khogyaniwal, one of the activists for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, told Afghanistan International, that these citizens will reach Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province from Quetta city in Pakistan on Thursday.

Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in Pakistan (PTM), said that Afghans are going through a very dire situation and that the neighbouring countries should avoid creating problems for Afghan immigrants.

After the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban in August 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens have illegally immigrated to Pakistan and Iran.

Last month, 40 Afghan immigrants were released from Karachi police prison with the cooperation of refugee rights activists and leaders of the PTM.

According to sources who spoke to Afghanistan international, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, which is under the control of the Taliban, has not cooperated with the release of Afghan citizens from Pakistani police detention.

According to AI sources, Bahramuddin Nuristani, the former commander of Mandol Nuristan district, died after being tortured in a Taliban prison in Laghman province.

The Taliban had summoned him to consult about the construction of the Nuristan-Laghman highway, but he was imprisoned and killed by the group.

Nuristani was an influential leader in Mandol district.

According to sources, after Nuristani’s murder, residents of Mandol armed themselves on Wednesday and asked the Taliban to hand over the perpetrators of the murder.

Sources said that due to the resident’s anger, the Taliban district governor and the police commander for Mandol did not return to the district center, and other Taliban members also fled the area.

Relatives of this former soldier said that the Taliban severely tortured him in prison.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Beijing enjoys close relations with the Taliban and stressed that his country seeks more engagement of the world with the group.

Earlier, Geng Shuang, the Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, addressed the Security Council meeting and said that the international community must engage with the Taliban in a practical way and help the group form an inclusive government.

Despite these statements, the Taliban claim that they have already formed such a government, which they think represents all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

However, on the contrary, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and Abdullah Abdullah, the former chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, have repeatedly asked the Taliban to hold a Loya Jirga and facilitate a national dialogue in Afghanistan.

Tom West, the US special representative for Afghanistan affairs, on Wednesday too emphasised on the formation of a political process and the start of intra-Afghan talks.

West while addressing a meeting at a think-tank in Washington, added that the talks should take place at a level where all Afghans must be represented.

West, who has continuously met with the Taliban and former Afghan government officials in the past year, predicted that Afghanistan will face another civil war.

However, West emphasised that Afghans should not rely on the international community and must find their own solutions.

But the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s view is more focused on international community.

Wenbin said, "The international community should continue to engage with the Afghan interim government and increase humanitarian aid.”

Wenbin also stressed that sanctions should not be used as a tool to pressure the Taliban.