Over 52 including children injured in Kabul blast

Kabul, Aug 19:

Over 52 people, including children, were injured in Afghanistan following a grenade explosion near the Sham-e Hedayat private school in Dasht-e Barchi area of western Kabul, local media reported citing security officials and witnesses.

Taliban police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said that the blast was caused by a hand grenade, but provided no further details about who was carrying the grenade or how it detonated. According to witnesses, the grenade exploded while in the possession of a school student, who was also wounded in the blast.

The circumstances under which the student acquired the grenade and why it was detonated remain unknown, Afghanistan’s leading news agency, Khaama Press, reported. The incident took place on Monday in Dasht-e Barchi, a densely populated area of western Kabul that has witnessed several deadly attacks in the past, including violence targeting schools and educational institutions. The area, home to a large Hazara and Shia community, has faced recurring security threats over the years.