KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has called for a thorough investigation into the recent suicide bombing in Kabul and for bringing those responsible to justice.
In a post on X on Wednesday, August 4, Mr. Bennett described the attack as “shocking,” emphasizing that nothing can justify such violence.
“My deepest condolences to the families of victims and I wish those injured a speedy recovery,” he said.
“Those responsible must be brought to justice after a full investigation and a fair trial,” he added.
The suicide bombing took place on Monday outside the Taliban-run Attorney General’s office in the Darulaman neighborhood of Kabul.
According to the Taliban Ministry of Interior, the attack resulted in the deaths of six people, including a woman, and injuries to 13 others, all civilians.
The bombing was claimed by ISIS-K, the regional affiliate of Islamic State, which said that it targeted employees of the Taliban Attorney General’s office, resulting in 45 deaths and injuries.
As reported by the BBC, ISIS-K claimed that the attack was a retaliatory act for the Taliban’s transfer of its detained members to the Bagram detention facility in Parwan province.
The attack was also condemned by the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, who wrote on X that “there can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians.”
This was the latest attack by ISIS-K, the terror group that has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly attacks across Afghanistan, primarily targeting the Hazara-Shia community and Taliban members.
Two weeks ago, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for an explosion in eastern Nangarhar province that killed six people and injured four others, saying that the attack targeted and killed Taliban members.
The Taliban dismisses the report of ISIS-K’s increased capabilities in Afghanistan as “propaganda” and “unfounded,” claiming that the terrorist group has significantly weakened and poses no threat to Afghanistan or beyond.
However, following the US and NATO military withdrawal and the Taliban’s subsequent return to power, ISIS-K has used Afghanistan as a base to emerge as the most capable branch of the ISIS terror network.
In a March report, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank, highlighted the Taliban’s inability to effectively counter the terrorist group and prevent its attacks both within Afghanistan and beyond its borders.
According to ISW, ISIS-K members have successfully infiltrated the Taliban’s security agencies and forces, undermining the regime’s ability to counter the terror group.
