17 August 2019 Kabul bombing | |
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Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and Persecution of Shias by the Islamic State | |
Location | Kabul, Afghanistan |
Coordinates | 34°30′03″N 69°08′43″E / 34.5007°N 69.1452°ECoordinates: 34°30′03″N 69°08′43″E / 34.5007°N 69.1452°E |
Date |
17 August 2019 10:40 p.m. (AFT; UTC+04:30) |
Target | Shia Hazara civilians |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
Weapons | Explosive belt |
Deaths | 92 |
Non-fatal injuries | 142 |
Assailants | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province |
Motive | Anti-Shi'ism |
On 17 August 2019, a suicide bombing took place during a wedding in a wedding hall in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 92 people were killed in the attack and over 140 injured.[1][2][3][4][5] The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the bombing, stating that the attack targeted the Shi'ites.[6] More than 1,000 people were gathered for the wedding when the attack took place.[7][6] The attack occurred a day before the 100th Afghan Independence Day, causing the government to postpone the planned celebrations taking place at the Darul Aman Palace.[8] It was the deadliest attack in Kabul since January 2018.[9]
Attack[]
The suicide bombing occurred at approximately 10:40 p.m. Afghanistan Time (UTC+04:30) in western Kabul, in an area heavily populated by the Shia Hazara minority, inside the "Dubai City" wedding hall.[10][11] The suicide bomber detonated the explosives in the men's section[12] of the wedding hall, near the stage where musicians were playing,[13] at a time when hundreds were inside the building for a wedding ceremony.[14] The bomber detonated a suicide vest packed with ball bearings.[15]
The explosion occurred shortly before the wedding ceremony was supposed to start.[13] According to the wedding hall's owner, more than 1,200 people had been invited to the event, with a mixed group of Shi'ites and Sunnis attending.[16] Most of the attendees were ethnic Hazaras.[6] Both the bride and the groom were Shi'ite,[6] and both from modest working class families, with the groom working as a tailor.[15] Their families had discussed how to schedule the timing of the wedding to try to minimize the risk of an attack.[15]
At least 63 people were initially killed and 182 injured. While the bride and groom survived, both lost several family members. Many children were also among those killed.[6] 17 more people succumbed to their injuries in the days after the attack, bringing the death toll to 80.[5] The final death toll was put at 92.
Responsibility[]
The day after the attack, a local affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS, the Islamic State, or Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack.[17][18] The statement of responsibility claimed that after the suicide bombing inside the wedding hall, a car bomb was also detonated outside as emergency vehicles were arriving.[19] The follow-up car bombing has not been confirmed by the authorities.[20]
The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack,[6][21] with a spokesman stating that the Taliban "condemns [the bombing] in the strongest terms".[6]
Reactions[]
Domestic[]
President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani declared a day of mourning.[20] He also stated that the Taliban can not fully escape blame for the attack either, saying that "The Taliban cannot absolve themselves of blame for they provide platform for terrorists."[22][23]
The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack and condemned it. The group's spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the group "strongly condemns explosion [sic] targeting civilians inside a hotel in Kabul city," while also adding that "Such barbaric deliberate attacks against civilians including women and children are forbidden and unjustifiable."[21]
See also[]
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province
- Persecution of Hazara people
References[]
- ↑ "Afghanistan war: Tracking the killings in August 2019". BBC News. 16 September 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49662640.
- ↑ "Suicide attack targeting Kabul wedding kills at least 60". France 24. 18 August 2019. https://www.france24.com/en/20190818-afghanistan-suicide-attack-dozens-dead-kabul-wedding-hall.
- ↑ Sediqi, Abdul Qadir (17 August 2019). "Afghan wedding suicide blast kills 63, amid hopes for talks". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-blast/afghan-wedding-suicide-blast-kills-63-wounds-182-ministry-idUSKCN1V70K6.
- ↑ "Bomb blast at wedding party in Kabul, Afghanistan kills 63 and injures 182 more". Sky News. 18 August 2019. https://news.sky.com/story/dozens-feared-dead-or-injured-in-explosion-at-wedding-hall-in-kabul-afghanistan-11787995.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Death toll in Afghanistan wedding blast rises to 80". Al Jazeera. 21 August 2019. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/death-toll-afghanistan-wedding-blast-rises-80-190821070634770.html.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Constable, Pamela; Hassan, Sharif (18 August 2019). "Islamic State claims suicide attack on Kabul wedding that killed 63". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/bloody-suicide-attack-on-kabul-wedding-kills-at-least-63/2019/08/18/ace5f0d4-c17d-11e9-a5c6-1e74f7ec4a93_story.html.
- ↑ "Bomb kills 63 at wedding in Kabul". BBC News. 18 August 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49383803.
- ↑ "Wedding bombing: Afghanistan postpones 100th Independence Day celebrations". 19 August 2019. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/international/rest-of-asia/wedding-bombing-afghanistan-postpones-100th-independence-day-celebrations.
- ↑ "Death toll from weekend Kabul wedding attack now 80". 21 August 2019. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/death-toll-from-weekend-kabul-wedding-attack-now-80.
- ↑ "Kabul blast in "Dubai City" wedding hall: 63 killed, 182 wounded". Gulf News. 18 August 2019. https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/kabul-blast-in-dubai-city-wedding-hall-63-killed-182-wounded-1.1566098578924.
- ↑ Gul, Ayaz (18 August 2019). "Suicide Bombing of Wedding Party in Kabul Killed 63". Voice of America. https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/suicide-bombing-wedding-party-kabul-killed-63.
- ↑ "Fears of many deaths after bomb explodes at Kabul wedding". Radio New Zealand. 18 August 2019. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/396939/fears-of-many-deaths-after-bomb-explodes-at-kabul-wedding.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mengli, Ahmed; Yusufzai, Mushtaq; Talmazan, Yuliya (18 August 2019). "'The suffering will continue': Groom mourns 63 killed at Afghan wedding amid U.S. withdrawal talks". NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/dozens-dead-or-hurt-wedding-party-blast-afghan-capital-n1043661.
- ↑ Prokos, Hayley (17 August 2019). "Possibly Hundreds Caught In Blast Inside Wedding Hall In Kabul". Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/possibly-hundreds-caught-blast-inside-wedding-hall-kabul-1454891?piano_t=1.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Mashal, Mujib; Faizi, Fatima; Abed, Fahim (18 August 2019). "One Minute It Was an Afghan Wedding. The Next, a Funeral for 63". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/18/world/asia/kabul-wedding-bomb-isis.html.
- ↑ Faiez, Rahim; Anna, Cara (18 August 2019). "Islamic State claims bombing at Kabul wedding that killed 63". Associated Press. https://www.apnews.com/b5ceb0cfb33d4d73aaaadf5eee19fe9d.
- ↑ "Afghanistan: Scores killed in Kabul wedding blast". Al Jazeera. 18 August 2019. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/afghanistan-scores-killed-kabul-wedding-blast-190818050258914.html.
- ↑ "ISIS claims Afghan wedding suicide blast that killed 63". 18 August 2019. https://m.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Blast-at-wedding-in-Kabul-wounds-at-least-20-598928.
- ↑ "Kabul wedding blast: Groom has 'lost hope' after deadly attack". BBC News. 19 August 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49390900.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Islamic State claims responsibility for bombing at Kabul wedding that killed 63". CBS News. 18 August 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghanistan-bombing-islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-bombing-at-kabul-wedding-that-killed-63/.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Taliban reacts to deadly Kabul wedding hall bombing which killed at least 63". 18 August 2019. https://www.khaama.com/taliban-reacts-to-deadly-kabul-wedding-hall-bombing-which-killed-at-least-63-03680/.
- ↑ "Afghan president says Taliban can't escape blame for deadly bombing". Reuters. 18 August 2019. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-afghanistan-blast-president/afghan-president-says-taliban-cant-escape-blame-for-deadly-bombing-idUKKCN1V8039?rpc=401&.
- ↑ ashrafghani (17 August 2019). "Taliban cannot absolve themselves of blame, for they provide platform for terrorists. Today is the day of mourning, hence #StateBuilder have cancelled today's gathering at the Loya Jirga tent.". https://twitter.com/ashrafghani/status/1162969356780867590.
External links[]
- Afghanistan: Bomb kills 63 at wedding in Kabul
- Dozens Wounded In Blasts As Afghanistan Marks Independence Day
- Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul wedding hall blast
- 63 Killed as Explosion Turns Kabul Wedding Into Carnage
The original article can be found at 17 August 2019 Kabul bombing and the edit history here.