The Death Toll from the Suicide Attack in Western Kabul Rises to 48

A suicide attack on Sunday at a voter registration center in western Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, has left at least 48 dead and the number of injured has risen to 112. The Islamic State group, or ISIS, has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the Associated Press, the police chief of Kabul stated that the suicide bomber targeted citizens who had gathered to obtain their national identification cards. The sound of the explosion was heard across various parts of the city, and the blast shattered windows kilometers away from the site of the incident, causing damage to vehicles in the area as well. The police blocked roads leading to the explosion site, allowing only emergency vehicles to approach. Local media reported that hundreds of people gathered outside hospitals seeking news of their relatives. The Associated Press notes that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack and asserted that it targeted Shia individuals. The news agency pointed out that ISIS-linked groups have previously targeted civilians in bombings in Kabul. The Associated Press also reminded that Afghanistan is set to hold parliamentary elections this fall, and both the Taliban and ISIS oppose the holding of elections in Afghanistan. Last week, three police officers responsible for protecting voter registration centers were killed by militants in two provinces of Afghanistan. On Sunday, it was also reported that five occupants of a vehicle were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghlan province. A local police spokesperson confirmed that four others were injured in this explosion. The Associated Press noted that the Taliban typically uses roadside bombs to target security forces and government officials, but such attacks often result in civilian casualties. On Saturday, a local police chief in Balkh province died from injuries sustained in a clash with a militant group, with a police spokesperson stating that several militants were killed in the encounter. In related news, a bombing in Helmand left at least 14 dead, a suicide attack in Kabul resulted in at least 26 deaths, and in a Taliban attack on a military outpost in Afghanistan, 10 were killed. Several casualties were reported following a wave of suicide attacks in Afghanistan, and the United Nations reported that over 10,000 civilians were killed or injured in Afghanistan last year.