Two left dead in Kabul commercial centre explosion

AFP | Kabul                                               

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Two people died and nine others were injured in an explosion at a commercial centre in the Afghan capital on Thursday, police said.

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said in a message to reporters the explosion occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood of Kabul -- an enclave of the historically oppressed Shiite Hazara community.

"A police investigation team has reached the area and is working to uncover the cause of the explosion," he said.

The nine injured had been taken to a hospital, he added, without providing details on the seriousness of their injuries.

Images shared on social media that could not be immediately independently verified showed the sides blown out of part of a multi-story building that was still blazing with fire.

Mitts used in martial arts training were among shattered glass on the ground in one video and local media reports said the site of the blast housed a sports gym.

The Islamic State group, which considers Shiites heretics, has carried out several deadly attacks in the same area in recent years targeting schools, mosques and gyms.

The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks has reduced dramatically since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government.

However, a number of armed groups -- including the regional chapter of IS -- remain a threat.