A view of Kabul, the center of Afghanistan’s social and political life. Photo UNAMA/Fardin Waezi.
In one of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan this year, 57 people were reported killed and 119 injured when a suicide bomber targeted a voters registration center in capital Kabul on Sunday.
According to several Afghan and international media outlets, the ISIS (known as Daesh in Arabic) has claimed responsibility for the attack, raising fears about the dangerous militant group’s ability to operate in Afghanistan.
The bombing occurred in front of a school that housed the voter center for October this year’s election. Several of the victims included women and children.
The U.S. has been fighting the ISIS in Afghanistan and a few months ago dropped one of the heaviest bombs on a suspected ISIS target but the militant group that emerged from the civil wars of Iraq and Syria, seems to have secured support of some local groups.
In another incident, a roadside explosion in the northern province of Baghlan has killed six people, including three women and two children. The victims belonged to the same family.
The attacks have led to growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, which are seen as a test-run for next year’s presidential poll, Afghan TV TOLO reported.
Both the health and interior ministries confirmed the toll of 63 due to the attacks, which were claimed by the Islamic State group via its propaganda arm Amaq.
“They (victims) are civilians, including women and children,” said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish while talking to media.
The center located in the west of the capital city was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates, which they need to sign up for the vote.
“This senseless violence shows the cowardice and inhumanity of the enemies of democracy and peace in Afghanistan,” US ambassador John Bass tweeted.
The last major attack in Kabul was on March 21 when an IS suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd celebrating Naurooz, the Persian New Year holiday and killed at least 33 people.
Ariana TV showed angry crowds shouting “Death to the government!” and “Death to the Taliban!” According to a report, a wounded man in a hospital bed wept as he told the channel. “I don’t know where my daughters are. God damn the attackers!,”
A witness to the attack named Akbar said, “Now we know the government cannot provide us security: we have to get armed and protect ourselves.”
Afghanistan began registering voters on April 14 for the long-delayed elections.
Officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern because the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large parts of the country.
Afghanistan began registering voters on April 14 for the long-delayed legislative elections. Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls. Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres dotted across Afghanistan for the parliamentary and district council elections.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has condemned the suicide attacks at Voter Registration Centres in Afghan capital, Kabul and Baghlan.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the heinous and reprehensible suicide attacks that targeted innocent civilians at voter registration centres in Kabul and Baghlan provinces in Afghanistan”, a spokesman of Pakistan Foreign Office said.
He said that Pakistan’s government and people were grieved at the loss of precious innocent lives in this brutal act of terrorism.
“We express our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured, ” the spokesman said.
