An explosion devastated a Chinese-managed eatery located in a well-guarded area of Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, resulting in the tragic deaths of a Chinese citizen and six Afghans, with several others, including a child, sustaining injuries, as confirmed by officials.
Situated in the bustling Shahr-e-Naw district of Kabul, known for its mix of office spaces, commercial centers, and diplomatic offices, the restaurant fell victim to the blast, as indicated by police spokesperson Khalid Zadran. Despite being considered a secure zone within the city, the district witnessed the attack claimed by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State, who asserted that a suicide bomber was responsible for the incident.
The restaurant, managed jointly by a Chinese Muslim individual named Abdul Majid, his spouse, and their Afghan partner, Abdul Jabbar Mahmood, catered primarily to the Chinese Muslim community, according to Zadran.
A report from the Amaq news agency highlighted the Islamic State’s local faction marking Chinese nationals as potential targets, citing alleged mistreatment of the Uyghur population by the Chinese government. Beijing’s purported violations against the Uyghurs, an ethnically diverse Muslim group residing in Xinjiang, have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, with China refuting these allegations and accusing Western nations of spreading misinformation.
The explosion near the restaurant’s kitchen claimed the lives of one Chinese national, Ayub, and six Afghan individuals, while also injuring several others, Zadran confirmed. Social media footage depicted debris strewn across the street outside the establishment and smoke billowing from a substantial rupture in the building’s facade.
Dejan Panic, the country director of the humanitarian organization EMERGENCY in Afghanistan, reported that their hospital received 20 individuals, including four women and a child, with seven fatalities upon their arrival.
Although Afghan authorities refrained from disclosing the cause of the explosion, stating it was under scrutiny, the president of neighboring Pakistan attributed the incident to a bomb detonation. Despite the Taliban’s promise to restore security after seizing control of Afghanistan in 2021, bomb attacks persist, with many being claimed by the local branch of the extremist Islamic State group.