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Twin blasts killed 14 in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan

Police officers stand guard after rockets hit Kabul Police officers stand guard after rockets hit Kabul Omar Sobhani/Reuters

25 November 2020 

While peace negotiations stall, two bombs ripped the city of Bamiyan, considered one of the safest provinces in the country

On November 24, the city of Bamiyan, in central Afghanistan, was hit by its deadliest attack recorded in more than a decade. Two magnetic bombs, one placed near a crowded marketplace and the other near a hospital, killed 14 persons and wounded 45 others, including children and university students. Two suspects were arrested following the attack, while the Taliban deny any involvement.

Bamiyan, due to its isolated position in the central mountains, has s avoided large-scale attack since the beginning of the conflict, and it is consequently considered one of the safest provinces in the war-torn country. The city is home to members of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic minority, which has been targeted during the Taliban rule, when thousands have been killed for opposing the regime, and more recently by the Islamic State (IS). 

Throughout November, two further deadly attacks were carried out. On November 8, 14 casualties were registered after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on Kandahar province. Less than two weeks later, 14 rockets were fired on Kabul, killing three and wounding 11. According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, during the last six months, the Taliban carried out 53 suicide attacks, and detonated 1,250 explosive devices, causing the death of 1,210 civilians, and the wounding of more than 2000. Furthermore, as recorded by Action On Armed Violence (AOAV), 1,313 civilian casualties resulted from the use of explosive violence in the country in 2020. 

Nearly after two decades of war, as peace talks in Doha between the government and the Taliban continue to stall, explosive violence remains one of the greatest security concerns Afghanistan needs to face on a daily basis.

 

To read more, visit: 

https://aoav.org.uk/2020/twin-blasts-kill-14-and-injure-45-in-bamiyan-afghanistan/ 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/24/two-bomb-blasts-kill-at-least-14-in-afghanistan-officials 

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/11/24/twin-blasts-rock-bamiyan-afghanistan/ 

 

Author: Alessia Rossinotti

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