The bomb blast was reported within the northern Afghan metropolis of Mazar-i-Sharif. (Representational picture)
A bomb blast within the northern Afghan metropolis of Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday killed a safety guard and wounded a bunch of journalists, in addition to a number of youngsters, police and a witness mentioned.
The blast got here two days after a suicide bomber killed the Taliban governor of northern Balkh province in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.
The assault on Mohammad Dawood Muzammil within the Balkh provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday marked the killing of one of many highest-ranking officers because the Taliban stormed again to energy in 2021.
Saturday’s blast befell throughout an occasion honouring Afghanistan’s media at a cultural centre in Mazar-i-Sharif. Police mentioned a safety guard was killed and that 5 journalists have been among the many wounded.
“I heard an enormous bang… then there was chaos as everybody was looking for a solution to escape,” Afghan journalist Atif Arian, who was wounded within the blast, instructed AFP.
“Some journalists are severely wounded.”
Balkh police spokesman Mohammad Asif Waziri mentioned three youngsters have been additionally among the many wounded.
Arian mentioned the explosion occurred when a bunch of kids have been singing an anthem, minutes after a Taliban official had delivered a speech.
Afghan journalists have been recurrently focused earlier than the Taliban reclaimed energy, with a number of assaults claimed by Islamic State.
Muzammil, the Balkh governor, was killed by an IS suicide bomber minutes after he arrived at his workplace in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Violence throughout Afghanistan has fallen because the Taliban seized management however safety has deteriorated once more, with Islamic State claiming a number of lethal assaults.
The jihadist group has emerged as the largest safety problem to the Taliban authorities since final yr, finishing up assaults in opposition to Afghan civilians in addition to foreigners and overseas pursuits.
The Taliban and IS share an austere Sunni Islamist ideology, however the latter are preventing to ascertain a worldwide “caliphate” as a substitute of the Taliban’s extra inward-looking goal of ruling an impartial Afghanistan.
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