Several arrests
Updated on May 17, 2024, 11:50 p.m
Taliban fighters patrol the streets during a celebration marking the second anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
© dpa / Abdul Khaliq/AP/dpa
At least three foreign tourists have been killed in a gun attack in Afghanistan. An Afghan man was also killed in the incident in the central province of Bamian, said the spokesman for the ruling Taliban’s interior ministry, Abdul Matin Kani, on Friday, local broadcaster Tolonews reported. Four other foreign citizens and three Afghans were also injured. According to Kani, four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. No further information was provided about the crime or the nationality of the victims. Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Spanish media reported, citing the Foreign Ministry in Madrid, that three Spaniards were killed and at least one was injured in the attack. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X on Friday evening that he was “shocked by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan.” The Foreign Ministry’s consular emergency department is in the process of offering any necessary assistance.
Bamian Province is famous for its scenic beauty and cultural attractions. Even before the Taliban came back to power, when the Islamists were still fighting against the Afghan government backed by international troops, the province was considered one of the quietest and safest in the country. Thousands of Afghans visited Band-e Amir National Park or viewed the remains of two monumental Buddha statues, witnesses to the country’s pre-Islamic past. Since the Taliban came to power in 2021 and the withdrawal of international troops, local authorities have also recorded an increase in foreign tourists.
Repeated attacks
Even though the security situation has improved significantly since the end of the armed conflict, there are still repeated attacks. Most of them are claimed by the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS), which is hostile to the Taliban despite ideological proximity. Members of the country’s Shiite minority in particular are repeatedly targeted by IS. The terrorist militia views Shiites as apostates from Islam and despises them. (mss/dpa)
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