At least four killed in violent anti-government protests in Kabul

Authorities in Afghanistan report that at least four people were killed in violent clashes between police and protesters demanding the resignation of President Ashraf Ghani. The protests occurred two days after a deadly bombing in Kabul. According to reports, riot police, fully equipped, fired warning shots to prevent protesters from moving towards the presidential palace and used tear gas and water cannons against them. Some reports indicate that police shot at the protesters to prevent their movement towards the building. Wahid Mujrooh, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Health, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that four people were killed and eight were injured in the protests. Mohammad Alam Izadyar, Deputy Speaker of the Afghan Senate, also told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that his son, Salim Izadyar, was injured in the protests and taken to the hospital but died shortly thereafter. It is still unclear how he was injured. Afghan media quoted General Murad Ali Murad, head of security at the Ministry of Interior, stating that several protesters and police were injured in the clashes. He noted that some protesters were throwing stones at the police. The protests began after around a thousand people gathered near the site of the bombing on Wednesday, June 10. This deadly bombing, which occurred during rush hour in the morning, killed at least 90 people and injured over 460, most of whom were civilians. This attack is the deadliest bombing in Kabul since 2001 and the fall of the Taliban government following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. This incident has once again raised serious doubts about the Afghan central government's capabilities to maintain security and protect citizens from attacks by groups like the Taliban and the Islamic State. Some protesters carried images of the recent bombing victims, many of whom were women and children. Another group carried placards with anti-government slogans, one of which read, 'As long as Ghani is in the presidential palace, there is death.' Another poster stated, 'Ghani, Abdullah, resign, resign.' They referred to President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the Chief Executive of Afghanistan, who managed to maintain a kind of coalition government in this unstable and insecure country after the contentious 2014 elections. Reuters reported that as some protesters attempted to breach police lines, security forces fired warning shots. Tolo News, an Afghan news network, reported that police arrested six protesters. Officials have not yet commented on this issue. No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing in Kabul on Wednesday. The Taliban has denied any involvement in the attack. Reuters reported that the National Security Directorate, Afghanistan's highest intelligence-security body, believes that the Haqqani network, with the help of the Pakistani government, carried out the bombing. Some former Afghan government officials have also confirmed this claim.