Explosion in Kandahar Orchestrated By ISI, Claims Media Outlet Affiliated To Taliban

At least 21 people had been killed in the incident. The suicide bomber has been identified by ISIS as "Moawia Al-Panjshiri”.

The group claimed to have attacked "a gathering of Taliban militants who had come to the bank to receive their salaries”.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior had earlier announced that in a suicide bombing in front of Kabul Bank in Kandahar, "several citizens" were killed and injured. So far, the ministry has refrained from disclosing any accurate casualty figures.

However, sources from Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar province informed Afghanistan International that in the explosion, at least 21 people had been killed, and 50 others got injured.

Also, sources in the Taliban police command in Kandahar stated that the explosion occurred in a heavily guarded area.

According to them, the suicide attacker passed through checkpoints and detonated explosives among Taliban members.

The organisation stated that female students were hopeful to return to their classrooms to pursue knowledge and growth.

UNESCO's office in Kabul wrote on its official Facebook page on Thursday, "Excluding girls from school harms their well-being and hinders Afghanistan's development."

On Wednesday, Taliban’s education ministry officials held the commencement ceremony for the new academic year at the Amani High School in Kabul without the presence of girls and women.

With the start of the new academic year, Taliban’s Minister of Education, Habibullah Agha, urged teachers and students to refrain from wearing clothing contrary to "Islamic principles and Afghani traditions”.

He said that teachers and students must align their "appearance and conduct" with Islamic principles.

However, the Taliban’s Education Minister did not provide any explanation regarding which clothing might be "contrary to Islamic and Afghan principles”.

Following the takeover of power in August 2021, the Taliban closed girls' schools beyond the sixth grade. Additionally, they prohibited girls from pursuing higher education at universities and women from employment in non-governmental organisations.

In the previous government, the new academic year began on the third day of the month Hamal (Afghanistan Calendar). However, the Taliban, by omitting the celebration of Nowruz, held the academic year commencement on first of this month.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Education requested reporters to attend the commencement ceremony for the new educational year at Amani High School. Additionally, this ministry instructed female reporters not to participate in this event.

Taliban members from the group’s police command in Kandahar stated that the explosion took place in a heavily guarded area.

According to them, the suicide attacker passed through inspection checkpoints and detonated explosives among Taliban members who were queuing up to receive their salaries in front of the Kabul Bank.

This explosion occurred near the outpost of the Taliban police command in Kandahar.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior announced that in a suicide bombing in front of Kabul Bank in Kandahar, "several citizens" were killed and injured. So far, the ministry has refrained from disclosing any accurate casualty figures.

In a statement, it stated that the explosion was "carried out by Khawarij”. The Taliban usually refer to ISIS as "Khawarij."

Residents of Kandahar said that the explosion was extremely powerful and could be heard from afar.

The Taliban's police commander in Kandahar confirmed that three people had been killed and 12 others have been injured due to the explosion in the city's first security district.

Some Taliban members in Kandahar and witnesses have described the death toll due to the explosion as “high”. In fact, some members of the group at the Kandahar police command told Afghanistan International that the casualty figures are higher than those officially announced.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar had also announced that the victims of this attack had been transferred there and needed blood donations.

Baloch stated, "Pakistan has not invaded Afghanistan. The operation was not against the people, institutions, or government of Afghanistan. The targets were terrorists belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group.”

Hafiz Gul Bahadur is a prominent commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who recently claimed responsibility for an attack on Pakistani security forces in North Waziristan.

Baloch added that Pakistan conducted an intelligence-based operation on March 18 along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, targeting "terrorists" associated with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.

She said that civilians were not targeted in Pakistan's operations in Afghanistan. She stated that Pakistan respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan."

However, she emphasised that Pakistan would not tolerate terrorist attacks on its soil.

The spokesperson of the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Pakistan has repeatedly presented evidence of terrorist presence in Afghanistan.

Although the Taliban has denied the presence of the TTP in Afghanistan multiple times, Pakistan claims that Afghan Taliban have provided shelter to thousands of TTP militants in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Air Force conducted airstrikes in Paktika and Khost on Monday. Following this, the Pakistani foreign ministry accused the Afghan Taliban of using TTP as a tool and stated that the airstrikes in Afghanistan were anti-terrorism operations.

In reaction to these airstrikes, the Taliban summoned Pakistan's ambassador to Kabul, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, and expressed their objections to the airstrike.

Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesperson has stated that in Pakistani airstrikes in Paktika, three women and three children were killed, and in Khost, three members of a family were killed.

The Taliban's police commander in Kandahar confirmed that three people had been killed and 12 others have been injured due to the explosion in the city's first security district.

Some Taliban members in Kandahar and witnesses have described the death toll due to the explosion as “high”. In fact, some members of the group at the Kandahar police command told Afghanistan International that the casualty figures are higher than those officially announced.

Multiple sources among the Taliban and healthcare workers in Kandahar have put the death toll at 17, with at least 45 others injured.

The Taliban have stated the explosion was the result of a suicide attack, claiming mostly civilian victims. Residents of Kandahar said that the explosion was extremely powerful and could be heard from afar.

A statement released on Thursday by the Taliban's police command in Kandahar reported that the injured had been transferred to the hospital and investigations into the explosion are underway.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar had also announced that the victims of this attack had been transferred there and need blood donations.

Recently, Mullah Shirin, the Taliban’s governor in Kandahar, had advised the group's security institutions to strengthen security measures in Kandahar.