IS attacks in Afghanistan leave nearly 100 casualties

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A twin bombing and separate suicide car attack in Afghanistan on Monday, claimed by the Islamic State (IS), has left over two dozen people dead and scores more injured.

At least 25 people, including journalists and children, died after a suicide attacker riding a motorcycle detonated his vest in Kabul’s Shash Darak neighborhood near the NATO headquarters and US embassy. The attack injured 45 others.

The second bomber was disguised as a reporter, detonating his vest among a group of rescue workers and journalists who had rushed to the scene of the first incident. The bombings occurred 20 minutes apart, according to AFP who said one of its photographers was killed.

“This terrorist attack is a war crime and an organized attack on the Afghan media,” a statement by the Afghanistan Federation of Journalists read, demanding an investigation by the United Nations.

“The attack in the heart of Kabul in the Green Zone indicates a serious lack of security by the government,” it added.

The US embassy in Kabul also condemned the twin bombing, stating that “where media are in danger, all other human rights are under greater threat.”

Hours later, a suicide car bomb targeted a NATO convoy in southern Kandahar Province killing 11 children and injuring 16 others, including five Romanian NATO soldiers, nine civilians, and two police officers.

Monday’s attacks are the latest in a string of incidents claimed by IS ahead of Afghan parliamentary elections planned for October.

Last week, an IS suicide bomber attacked a voter registration center in Kabul, killing 60 people and injuring another 130.