KABUL (SW) – The deadly blast in a religious school in Samangan province has been widely condemned at home and abroad.
The attack on the school in Samangan province, which resulted in the death and injuries of more than 40 people, has caused domestic and foreign reactions. The explosion occurred after dawn yesterday during the congregational prayer at a religious school in Samangan province in the vicinity of Aibak city, the capital of this province.
Seyyed Mohammad Osman Hamidi, head of Samangan Provincial Hospital, told Salam Watandar that 19 people were killed and 23 others were injured as a result of this explosion. He added that children are also among those killed and injured in this event.
Abdul Nafi Takour, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, has said that the intelligence and security forces are trying hard to identify the perpetrators of this “unforgivable crime” and punish them.
Karen Decker, the charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Afghanistan, condemned this explosion in a tweet and called it disgusting. She said that Afghan children should be protected. “We must eradicate terror from the lives of our children.”
In response to this attack, Amnesty International said that this deadly attack is another reminder to the world that the suffering of the Afghan people is not over yet.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also responded to this attack by saying that it was horrified by the explosion in Samangan. UNICEF said that it was reported that children were killed in this explosion, but according to this organization, the number of child victims has not been confirmed so far.
UNICEF added that in the first half of this year, at least 288 children were killed or injured in Afghanistan, including in attacks on schools and educational environments. According to this institution, it is believed that the real figure is much higher.
The United Nations Children’s Fund has emphasized that children should never be the target of violence. The fund has said that it wants all parties in Afghanistan to do everything they can to keep children safe.
On the other hand, Maulvi Abdul Kabir, Political Deputy of the Ministry of the Islamic Emirate, strongly condemned the attack on the Samangan. In a condolence message last night, he said that this attack is against all Islamic and humanitarian principles. It is an “unforgivable crime”.
“The enemies of Afghanistan and Islam revealed their enmity with Islam with this attack that targeted the students of Quran and Sunnah. I assure that the perpetrators of this crime will not remain unanswered.”
Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, strongly condemned this explosion and called it against all human and Islamic values.
Abdullah Abdullah, the former head of the Supreme National Reconciliation Council of the previous government, also condemned this explosion by broadcasting a message on his Facebook page. Mr. Abdullah wrote that attacking worshipers, students, religious schools, mosques and places of worship is against Islamic and human values.
No person or group has yet claimed responsibility for this explosion.
ENDS
