29 people including 8 journalist killed in dreadful terror attack launched by IS in Kabul

Kabul: 29 people including 8 reporters were killed in the dual bomb blasts carried out by the ‘IS’ in the capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday. Only last week, 60 people had been killed in a blast carried out by the ‘IS’ in Kabul. This attack is disturbing as it was very close to the NATO headquarters in Afghanistan, the US embassy, the Residence of the Afghanistan President and the Defence headquarters.

The first suicide bomb blast took place at Shash Darak in Kabul at around 8 in the morning. The attacker was riding a motorcycle. The reporters rushed to the spot after getting the news of the attack. Reporters and photographers were busy gathering information of the attack, when the second blast was triggered off by a suicidal terrorist posing as a photographer. Eight reporters including the photographer were killed in the blast. Terrorists apparently wanted to target the media. The reporters and photographers were operating in the conflict torn, unsafe parts of capital Kabul.

29 people have been killed and more than 45 injured in the double suicide bomb blasts. The injured are being treated at the local hospitals. The area has been sealed after the blasts and an investigation has been initiated. The ‘IS’ has accepted the responsibility for the blasts. It had targeted Kabul twice in the last two weeks. The Afghanistan elections are scheduled to be held soon.

In view of this, the Taliban and the IS attacks are on the rise. This poses a major challenge for the security agencies in Afghanistan. Afghanistan President Abdul Ghani denounced the attacks. The attacks targeted the common people and the reporters, said the statement issued by the President’s office.

The US Ambassador to Afghanistan, John Bass also condemned the attack and assured the Afghanistani people that the United States will always support them for the stability and safety of Afghanistan.

Shah Marai, a photographer with the ‘Agency France Press’ had reached the site immediately after the first suicide blast. He had been operating in Afghanistan for the last 15 years, said ‘AFP’.

The IS has taken planned steps to increase its domination in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is dominated by Taliban and some unsatisfied groups from Taliban are said to have switched over to the IS. There were claims that the IS terrorists entered Afghanistan after the action against the IS in Syria and Iraq.

The senior US military officials and analysts had warned about the ever-increasing strength of the IS in Afghanistan. The IS has been demonstrating its strength to the world with dreadful sabotage activities from time to time. The Monday IS attack seems to be a part of the same series.