Grenade attack near school in Afghan capital wounds numerous children, authorities say

A hand grenade explosion near a school in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, resulted in injuries to multiple children on Monday afternoon, according to authorities. The Kabul police released a statement shortly after the incident, stating that "a number of children" had been wounded, although they did not specify the exact number. Later that same day, Richard Bennett, the United Nations' special rapporteur for Afghanistan, expressed his outrage over the "heinous attack" that harmed numerous children near a school.

Bennett emphasized the urgent need for an independent investigation to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the attack. Afghan media reported that around 50 children sustained injuries in the blast, which took place in an area of Kabul predominantly inhabited by the Hazara ethnic minority. Hazaras, comprising roughly 9% of the Afghan population, have faced numerous attacks and discrimination throughout the country's history.

They are primarily Shiite Muslims, making them a frequent target of Sunni Muslim radicals, including the Islamic State group, and experiencing prejudice in a predominantly Sunni-majority nation. Prior to the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the abrupt departure of U.S.-led troops, a series of bombings targeting a school in Kabul killed dozens of Hazara individuals, mostly young girls exiting their classrooms.

The targeted school, like the one attacked on Monday, was situated in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood, the primary Hazara district within the Afghan capital. Richard Bennett condemned the attack on X, stating that "once again this mainly Hazara part of Kabul has been targeted. Deplorable!"