Bus blast kills two in predominantly Shiite neighborhood in Afghanistan

Relatives of blast victims gather outside the Italian aid organisation 'Emergency' hospital in Kabul on November 7, 2023, following an explosion on a bus. Seven people died and 20 others were injured in a bus explosion in the Afghan capital on November 7, police said. (AFP)
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  • The explosion is the latest to hit Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in recent months
  • In November, at least seven people were killed in a bus explosion claimed by Daesh

KABUL: Two people were killed and 14 others were wounded in an explosion on a bus in the Afghan capital on Saturday, police said.

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion occurred in the capital's Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood – an enclave of the historically oppressed Shiite Hazara community.

“According to initial information, unfortunately, two civilians in the bus were killed and 14 others were injured,” Zadran said in a statement.

“The injured were rushed to hospitals and police are investigating the incident.”

The explosion is the latest to hit the area in recent months.

In November, at least seven people were killed in an explosion on a bus in Dasht-e-Barchi that was claimed by Daesh, which considers Shiites heretics.

The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Afghanistan 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 Daesh – remain a threat.