IS-K Bomb Attack at Kabul Military Hospital in Afghanistan... 19 Dead, 50 Injured

Taleban "Killed 5 IS-K Members at Terror Site"
Former Afghan Government Forces Join IS-K...Strengthening Power

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A bomb attack presumed to be carried out by the extremist international terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) occurred in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, killing at least 19 people and injuring 50 others. It is reported that IS's local Afghan branch, IS-Khorasan (IS-K), has recently strengthened its forces by accepting a large number of former Afghan government soldiers who were being pursued by the Taliban, raising concerns that the frequency and scale of future terrorist attacks may increase.

According to foreign media including Al Jazeera on the 2nd (local time), the bomb attack occurred around 1 p.m. near Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan Military Hospital in Kabul's District 10. According to local residents, at the time of the bomb attack, gunfire was heard along with two explosions near the hospital entrance. Hospital staff who evacuated from the scene testified, "Gunfire continued for several minutes before we heard an explosion," and about 10 minutes later, another explosion occurred.

The Taliban announced that 19 people were killed and more than 50 injured in the attack. The hospital is known as one of the largest in Kabul with over 400 beds, which contributed to the high number of casualties.

Although no armed group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the Taliban has pointed to IS-K as the perpetrator. According to the Associated Press, IS-K also carried out a terrorist attack on this hospital four years ago in 2017, resulting in more than 30 casualties. The Taliban also stated that just before the attack, Taliban special forces engaged in a firefight with IS-K members at the hospital, killing five of them.

IS-K has recently strengthened its forces significantly by accepting former Afghan government soldiers, including special forces and intelligence agents who were being chased by the Taliban, raising concerns that the scale and frequency of future terrorist attacks will increase. Ramatullah Nabil, former director of the Afghan National Directorate of Security, explained in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), "If resistance forces had remained, they would likely have joined IS," adding, "For the time being, IS is the only armed group in Afghanistan besides the Taliban."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.