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Kabul suicide bomber kills 48 in tuition centre attack | Kabul suicide bomber kills 48 in tuition centre attack |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Forty-eight people have been killed and 67 injured in a bomb explosion at an education centre in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the country's health ministry says. | Forty-eight people have been killed and 67 injured in a bomb explosion at an education centre in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the country's health ministry says. |
Police say a suicide bomber walked into the centre while teaching was under way and detonated his bomb belt. | Police say a suicide bomber walked into the centre while teaching was under way and detonated his bomb belt. |
Many of those killed are believed to be teenagers who were getting extra tuition as they prepared for university entrance exams. | Many of those killed are believed to be teenagers who were getting extra tuition as they prepared for university entrance exams. |
The Taliban has denied involvement. | The Taliban has denied involvement. |
This latest attack came hours after the Taliban said it could no longer guarantee safe passage for Red Cross staff working in Afghanistan, amid a row over the treatment of Taliban prisoners in a jail in Kabul. | This latest attack came hours after the Taliban said it could no longer guarantee safe passage for Red Cross staff working in Afghanistan, amid a row over the treatment of Taliban prisoners in a jail in Kabul. |
The attack on the education centre took place at about 16:00 local time (11:30 GMT) in a mostly Shia Muslim neighbourhood of the city. | |
The Shia community in Afghanistan has been repeatedly targeted by Sunni Muslim extremists of the Islamic State group, which views the Shia practice of Islam as heretical. | The Shia community in Afghanistan has been repeatedly targeted by Sunni Muslim extremists of the Islamic State group, which views the Shia practice of Islam as heretical. |
"We can confirm the attack was caused by a suicide bomber on foot. The bomber detonated himself inside the education centre," police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. | "We can confirm the attack was caused by a suicide bomber on foot. The bomber detonated himself inside the education centre," police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. |
A student told AFP that as many as 100 students may have been inside the building at the time. | |
Another man, who gave his name as Assadullah, told the news agency how he ran toward the blast scene to try and rescue his 17-year-old brother inside. | |
"He was a smart and energetic boy, top of his class," he said. "Now... I am not sure he will survive." | |
Meanwhile, local officials said at least nine policemen and 35 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military outpost in the northern province of Baghlan early on Wednesday morning. | Meanwhile, local officials said at least nine policemen and 35 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military outpost in the northern province of Baghlan early on Wednesday morning. |
Afghanistan has seen a recent upsurge in militant violence, including a major Taliban assault on the eastern city of Ghazni. | Afghanistan has seen a recent upsurge in militant violence, including a major Taliban assault on the eastern city of Ghazni. |
At least 100 members of the security forces were killed in the fighting at Ghazni, officials have said. | |
The UN has warned that as many as 150 civilians may have also been killed. | |
Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN's Special Representative for Afghanistan, made an appeal on Wednesday for violence to end. | |
"The extreme human suffering caused by the fighting in Ghazni highlights the urgent need for the war in Afghanistan to end," he said in a statement. | |
BBC Pashto journalist Assadullah Jalalzai wrote his account of living three days there under siege before he was able to escape. | |
After five days of fighting, Afghan security forces have now regained control of the city, with Taliban fighters pulling out. |