Islamic State claimed responsibility for three suicide bomb attacks in Kabul which killed as many as 40 people and wounded 30 others at the Afghan Voice Agencyand the Shiite-run Tebyan cultural center.
The latest attack on Afghanistan took place during a panel discussion to mark the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion in the country, according to the news agency AVA. The victims include journalists and university students.
The three bombers struck the west Kabul building that houses the news agency and cultural center, deputy spokesman of Interior Ministry Nasrat Rahimi said by phone.
Terror Monitor — which tracks terrorist activities — noted in a tweet that IS claimed responsibility for the attack, citing the militant Sunni group’s Amaq news agency.
The attack comes one-and-a-half months after the group struck the Shamshad local television channel in Kabul, killing two guards and wounding 20 others. Another suicide attack by the group on a mosque in October in Kabul killed more than 30 worshippers.
Iran Ties
“Both Shiite-run offices have deep ties with Iran,” said local Tolonews channel citing unnamed sources.
Ordering authorities to investigate the incident, President Ashraf Ghani said these “heinous attacks will not break the resolve of the Afghan people,” according to an emailed statement from his press office.
Afghanistan is one of the world’s most dangerous nations for media organizations, according to a Dec. 22 report from Reporters Without Borders.
(Source: Bloomberg)