Taliban detain several after Kabul school explosion injures dozens of children
Taliban authorities have detained several people after an explosion at a school in western Kabul, sources in the area said, following an incident that left dozens of children injured.
According to one source, Salem Samim, the head of the private Sham-e Hedayat school, along with two teachers, was detained on Tuesday and remains in Taliban custody. The source added that the fathers of two students, the lane representative and two local residents were also detained.
The source said some residents were arrested because of damage to the alley’s security cameras. One of those detained was identified as Dr Nader, he said.
The explosion occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on Monday in the compound of the private Sham-e Hedayat school in Kabul’s 18th security district. According to United Nations figures, 42 children were injured in the incident.
Different accounts have emerged about how the explosion happened. A source told the daily Etilaat Roz after the incident that a grenade was thrown into the school yard from the alley opposite the school while students were being dismissed from class.
Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Taliban police command in Kabul, also said the incident was caused by the throwing of a hand grenade. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, likewise described the blast as a “hand grenade attack” and said investigations were continuing to determine how the incident happened and identify those responsible.
However, some media outlets close to the Taliban and the BBC have reported that the explosion may have been caused by explosive materials carried by one of the students. According to these reports, the materials were left over from past wars and were apparently found in the hills around the school.
The incident has triggered widespread reactions, and the United Nations has called for an investigation into how it happened. Western Kabul, especially Hazara-populated areas, has repeatedly been targeted in recent years by deadly attacks on schools and educational centres, with ISIS claiming responsibility for most of them.
