Afghanistan girls’ school bombing death toll soars to 50

Fears of even more violence growing as the U.S. and NATO complete their final military withdrawal from the country

Afghan men try to identify the dead bodies at a hospital after a bomb explosion near a school west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, May 8, 2021. (Associated Press)

KABUL, Afghanistan — The death toll in a horrific bombing at a girls’ school in the Afghan capital has soared to 50, many of them pupils between 11 and 15 years old, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.

The number of wounded in Saturday’s attack has also climbed to more than 100, said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.

Three explosions outside the school entrance struck as students were leaving for the day, he said. The blasts occurred in a mostly Shiite neighborhood in the west of the capital. The Taliban denied responsibility, condemning the attack.

The first explosion came from a vehicle packed with explosives, followed by two others, said Arian, adding that the casualty figures could still rise.

In the capital rattled by relentless bombings, Saturday’s attack was among the worst. Criticism has mounted over lack of security and growing fears of even more violence as the U.S. and NATO complete their final military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Afghan men try to identify the dead bodies at a hospital after a bomb explosion near a school west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, May 8, 2021. (Associated Press)

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About Joel Cholo Brooks 14055 Articles
Joel Cholo Brooks is a Liberian journalist who previously worked for several international news outlets including the BBC African Service. He is the CEO of the Global News Network which publishes two local weeklies, The Star and The GNN-Liberia Newspapers. He is a member of the Press Union Of Liberia (PUL) since 1986, and several other international organizations of journalists, and is currently contributing to the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation as Liberia Correspondent.
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