17 August 2019 Kabul bombing

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17 August 2019 Kabul bombing
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and Persecution of Shias by the Islamic State
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Bombing site
Bombing site (Afghanistan)
Location map Afghanistan Kabul.svg
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Bombing site
Bombing site (Kabul)
Location Kabul, Afghanistan
Coordinates 34°30′03″N69°08′43″E / 34.5007°N 69.1452°E / 34.5007; 69.1452
Date17 August 2019 (2019-08-17)
10:40 p.m. (AFT; UTC+04:30)
Target Shia Hazara civilians
Attack type
 Suicide bombing
Weapons Explosive belt
Deaths92
Injured142
Perpetrators 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]

Contents

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

References

  1. ↑ "Afghanistan war: Tracking the killings in August 2019". BBC News . 16 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  2. ↑ "Suicide attack targeting Kabul wedding kills at least 60". France 24. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. ↑ Sediqi, Abdul Qadir (17 August 2019). "Afghan wedding suicide blast kills 63, amid hopes for talks". Reuters. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  4. ↑ "Bomb blast at wedding party in Kabul, Afghanistan kills 63 and injures 182 more". Sky News. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Death toll in Afghanistan wedding blast rises to 80". Al Jazeera. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Constable, Pamela; Hassan, Sharif (18 August 2019). "Islamic State claims suicide attack on Kabul wedding that killed 63". The Washington Post . Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  7. ↑ "Bomb kills 63 at wedding in Kabul". BBC News . 18 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  8. ↑ "Wedding bombing: Afghanistan postpones 100th Independence Day celebrations". Indo-Asian News Service. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019– via Khaleej Times.
  9. ↑ "Death toll from weekend Kabul wedding attack now 80". Agence France-Presse. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019– via The Straits Times.
  10. ↑ "Kabul blast in "Dubai City" wedding hall: 63 killed, 182 wounded". Gulf News. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  11. ↑ Gul, Ayaz (18 August 2019). "Suicide Bombing of Wedding Party in Kabul Killed 63". Voice of America. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Fears of many deaths after bomb explodes at Kabul wedding". Radio New Zealand. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  13. 1 2 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 . Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  14. ↑ Prokos, Hayley (17 August 2019). "Possibly Hundreds Caught In Blast Inside Wedding Hall In Kabul". Newsweek. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  15. 1 2 3 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 . Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  16. ↑ Faiez, Rahim; Anna, Cara (18 August 2019). "Islamic State claims bombing at Kabul wedding that killed 63". Associated Press . Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "Afghanistan: Scores killed in Kabul wedding blast". Al Jazeera. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  18. ↑ "ISIS claims Afghan wedding suicide blast that killed 63". Reuters. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019– via The Jerusalem Post.
  19. ↑ "Kabul wedding blast: Groom has 'lost hope' after deadly attack". BBC News . 19 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  20. 1 2 "Islamic State claims responsibility for bombing at Kabul wedding that killed 63". CBS News . 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  21. 1 2 "Taliban reacts to deadly Kabul wedding hall bombing which killed at least 63". Khaama Press. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  22. ↑ "Afghan president says Taliban can't escape blame for deadly bombing". Reuters. 18 August 2019. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  23. ↑ Ghani, Ashraf [@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" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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