7 August 2019 Kabul bombing
A suicide car bomb exploded at a security checkpoint outside a police station in the Afghanistan capital, Kabul, on 7 August 2019.[1] The explosion occurred in the early morning, in a predominantly Shia neighbourhood in western Kabul.[2] At least 14 people were killed and 145 injured, mostly civilians.[3] The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, citing that one of their suicide bombers attacked "a recruitment centre".[1] The attack occurred as ongoing negotiations between the Taliban and the United States were being conducted.[2]
| 7 August 2019 Kabul bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of War in Afghanistan (2001–present) | |
  Bombing site Bombing site (Afghanistan)  Bombing site Bombing site (Kabul) | |
| Location | Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Coordinates | 34°29′50″N 69°06′51″E |
| Date | 7 August 2019 09:00 (AFT; UTC+04:30) |
| Target | A police station and a military training school in west Kabul |
Attack type | Suicide car bombing |
| Deaths | 14 |
| Injured | 145 |
| Perpetrators |  Taliban |
Background
Following the September 11 attacks, the United States requested that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.[4] After the Taliban refused, the US and other nations invaded Afghanistan.[5][6] The Taliban still has control over 59 districts.[7]
Over the years, the US has negotiated with the Taliban to end the war, with a likely solution that involves the withdrawal of US troops before the 2020 US presidential election being proposed in July and August 2019.[8] Despite these ongoing peace negotiations, the Taliban has targeted civilians that would participate in the 2019 Afghan presidential election[9] in various attacks carried out in the first half of 2019. The group has threatened to disrupt the elections on August 6, calling the elections "worthless" because they have no legitimacy.[10]
This is not the first time in which a police station was targeted. In April 2019, a large attack was carried out by the Taliban in western Afghanistan in which 30 soldiers and police officers were killed.[11] A similar event occurred on July 27, 2019, when a suicide bomb near a police headquarters in Ghazni Province killed three police officers and wounded 12.[12] The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has stated that the month of July 2019 was the deadliest in Afghanistan since May 2017 due to a rise in civilian casualties.[13]
The military training school that was targeted also served as a recruitment center for security forces.[3]
Attack
The bomb was detonated around 9:00 am AFT on August 7, 2019, when a vehicle targeted the gates of District 6 police headquarters.[14] The vehicle was stopped at a security checkpoint outside the building. The police headquarters was located in Golaee Dawa Khana, a Shi’ite neighborhood.[15] The police headquarters and a military training school were the main targets. The explosion left thick smoke in the sky and formed a large crater. The police station, a nearby military training school, and all windows in a radius of a mile were destroyed.[16]
The explosion left 14 people dead, including four police officers, and 145 wounded, mostly women and children; 92 of the wounded were civilians.[17] Two of the attackers were killed, however one was arrested. The bomb used has been identified as a car bomb, with the Taliban claiming that a larger truck bomb was used instead.[18] The attack occurred days before the Islamic holiday of Eid Al Adha.[19]
See also
References
- "Kabul attack: nearly 100 injured in Taliban bombing, say officials". The Guardian. 2019-08-07. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
- "Kabul". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
- "Taliban suicide blast in Kabul kills 14 people, injures 145". Los Angeles Times. 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
- "The history of the Afghanistan war". Newsround. 7 March 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- "A Timeline of the U.S. War in Afghanistan". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "Civilians Killed & Wounded | Costs of War". watson.brown.edu. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "Afghanistan: Who controls what". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "The U.S. is Close to a Peace Deal With the Taliban, Officials Say". Time. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "UN Afghan Mission 'outraged' by deadly Taliban attack in Kabul, as hardline group threatens election violence". UN News. 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "Taliban Attack In Kabul Kills At Least 14". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- Abed, Fahim (2019-04-04). "Taliban Attack Kills Dozens in Afghanistan Despite U.S. Efforts in Peace Talks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "Three Police Killed In Taliban Suicide Attack In Southeast Afghanistan". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "UN reminds parties of their responsibility to protect civilians - Civilian casualty rates spike in July". UNAMA. 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- Ehsan Popalzai (7 August 2019). "14 dead and 145 people injured in Taliban bomb attack in Afghanistan". CNN. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
- "At Least 14 Killed, 145 Wounded In Taliban Car Bombing In Kabul". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
- Abed, Fahim; Faizi, Fatima; Mashal, Mujib (2019-08-07). "Violence in Afghanistan Worsens as U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks Plod On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
- Faiez, Rahim; Anna, Cara (August 7, 2019). "Taliban suicide blast in Kabul kills 14 people, 145 wounded". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- "Taliban bomb Kabul amid peace talk 'progress'". 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- "Taliban claims it's behind one of year's worst attacks in Kabul, with scores dead and wounded". www.cbsnews.com. CBS/AP. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.