Islamic State claims deadly Afghanistan attack on tourists

The jihadists said they attacked a “bus of tourists who are citizens of coalition countries”, referring to a US-led coalition that has battled Isis in the Middle East.The ruins of a 1,500-year-old Buddha statue in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Photo: EPA-EFE“The attack comes in line with the directives of the leaders of the Islamic State to target nationals of coalition countries wherever they may be,” the statement added.Taliban officials said on Saturday they had arrested seven suspects in the aftermath of the attack.The number of bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has reduced dramatically since the Taliban authorities took power.However, a number of armed groups, including Isis, remain a threat.The jihadists have repeatedly targeted the historically persecuted Shiite Hazara community, considering them heretics.Hazaras make up the majority of the population in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan’s top tourist destination.The attack is believed to be the first deadly assault on foreign tourists since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 in a country where few nations have a diplomatic presence.Increasing numbers of visitors have travelled to Afghanistan as security has improved since the Taliban ended their insurgency after ousting the Western-backed government.
04:03Why Isis-K targeted Russia in Moscow concert attackWhy Isis-K targeted Russia in Moscow concert attackThe Taliban government has yet to be officially recognised by any foreign government.It has, however, supported a fledgling tourism sector, with more than 5,000 foreign tourists visiting Afghanistan in 2023, according to official figures.Western nations advise against all travel to the country, warning of elevated risks of kidnappings and attacks.The group targeted in Friday’s attack was made up of 13 travellers from various countries, including six Spanish nationals.Spanish officials said Sunday that all three Spaniards killed in the attack were from Catalonia.They included a mother and a daughter and a 63-year-old man who worked as an engineer.An 82-year-old Spanish retiree was seriously wounded and was evacuated to a Kabul hospital operated by the Italian NGO Emergency, where she and others injured in the attack were stabilised.“She is progressing favourably from her injuries, but her prognosis is uncertain,” the Spanish foreign ministry said.Jose Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, said Sunday on X that he “strongly condemns” the Isis attack and would “work to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished”.“The two unharmed Spaniards are now out of Afghanistan. The operation to repatriate the rest of the Spanish victims is still underway,” he added.Spanish diplomats had travelled to Afghanistan and had been working to repatriate the bodies of the dead and transfer the wounded, in coordination with a European Union delegation in Kabul.The Spanish embassy in Kabul was evacuated in 2021, along with other Western missions, after the Taliban took back control of the Afghan capital.