ISIS-K Claims Responsibility For August 11 Blast In Western Kabul

ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the August 11 explosion in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of western Kabul.

ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the August 11 explosion in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of western Kabul.
In a statement released via ISIS's Amaq Telegram channel, the group stated that the attack targeted Shias, resulting in "approximately 13 casualties”.
Earlier, Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Kabul, reported that initial findings indicated that one person was killed and 11 others were injured in the explosion. Zadran later confirmed that the incident was caused by a bomb planted in a passenger vehicle.On Sunday evening, residents of Dasht-e-Barchi sent a video to Afghanistan International showing the aftermath of the explosion in a passenger vehicle. The footage revealed a destroyed vehicle, bloodstained streets, and body parts scattered on the road.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced on Sunday that the Taliban has created the most serious women’s rights crisis globally over the past three years.
The organisation urged governments worldwide to hold the Taliban leadership accountable for all the serious crimes in Afghanistan.
Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch stated, "Under the Taliban’s abusive rule, Afghan women and girls are living their worst nightmares."
The organisation highlighted a report by Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur for Afghanistan, which characterises the current situation as "an institutionalised system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity, and exclusion of women and girls”.
HRW also reported that, over the past three years, the Taliban has consistently violated freedom of expression and the rights of journalists and media. Additionally, women have been arbitrarily detained for their attire, and those protesting against Taliban directives have been subjected to torture.
The organisation emphasised that Afghanistan is currently facing one of worst humanitarian crisis worldwide. Taliban-imposed restrictions have severely impacted women's and girls' access to healthcare, jeopardising their health.
Abbasi further stressed that governments engaging with the Taliban must consistently remind them that their repression of women, girls, and all Afghan citizens violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international law.

The Taliban's Ministry of Energy and Water has announced that Iranian investors have shown interest in developing water supply and electricity generation projects in Afghanistan.
As per the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency, the interested investors are affiliated with Mobarakeh Steel Company and its subsidiaries. The news agency, citing the Ministry's media office, detailed that officials from these companies discussed their investment interests during a meeting with Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Taliban's Minister of Energy and Water.
While specific projects were not disclosed, the Taliban's media office conveyed that Mansur welcomed the Iranian investors' interest, highlighting that the investment environment in Afghanistan is currently favourable.
Bakhtar also reported that Abdul Latif Mansur emphasised on the need for "coordination and the swift initiation of practical work" by these investors in the sectors of water supply and electricity generation.
Afghanistan has long been dependent on imported electricity, with the majority of its power currently sourced from Iran and Central Asian countries.

Ramazan Zirak, the former police chief of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province, has informed Afghanistan International that the Taliban officials have once again detained his 15-year-old son.
Zirak revealed that his son had been arrested last week and had been "severely tortured" while in Taliban custody.
In an interview with Afghanistan International's Pashto service, Zirak stated that his younger son, Abdul Aziz, had been imprisoned multiple times previously, but was released through the intervention of local tribal elders.
The former police chief claims that the Taliban officials are pressuring his son to hand over weapons and a vehicle allegedly belonging to him.
Zirak emphasised that he does not possess any weapons and was forced to flee the country following the Taliban's return to power.
Having fought against the Taliban during the previous government, Zirak asserted that the group's claims of a general amnesty are false and that its members are disregarding this declaration.
The Taliban officials have not yet responded to Zirak's allegations.

Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban's police command in Kabul, announced that preliminary reports indicate one person was killed and 11 others were injured in an explosion on Sunday afternoon in the Dashte Barchi area of Western Kabul.
Zadran confirmed that the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted in a passenger vehicle.
Witnesses provided a video to Afghanistan International capturing the immediate aftermath of the blast, showing blood flowing from a Mercedes bus onto the street, with body parts scattered across the road.

Residents of Western Kabul reported an explosion near a petrol station in the Dashte Barchi area of the city’s 13th district on Sunday.
According to witnesses, the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a civilian vehicle. Further details regarding the incident remain unavailable at this time.
