US State Department: Aware of explosion at Dasht-e-Barchi school; investigation underway

Elaha Sat Aug 2026 1 month ago 330

One spokesperson for the department told Voice of America on Thursday that Washington has received reports of an explosion at an educational center in Kabul and that investigations into this incident are ongoing. The official did not clarify whether the investigations refer to an examination of the incident by international bodies or by Taliban institutions.


The explosion occurred on the evening of Monday, August 26, in the courtyard of the private "Sham-e Hidayat" school in the Mahdiya neighborhood of Dasht-e Barchi, in Kabul's 18th district. Most of the injured, according to reports from local sources and international organizations, were children aged 9 to 14. UNAMA has confirmed the injury of at least 42 children, while school officials have reported 52 injured. The Emergency Hospital has also stated that 35 injured children were transferred there from shrapnel wounds, and at least three of them required surgery.


No group or individual has yet claimed responsibility for this explosion. There are also differing accounts regarding how the incident occurred; Taliban officials have said the explosion resulted from the throwing of a hand grenade or bomb, but some witnesses claim that several motorcyclists hurled grenades into the school courtyard as students were leaving.


UNICEF, following this incident, emphasized the need to protect children and educational centers, stating that schools must be immune from violence and harm under international law. The United Nations also condemned the explosion and called for an independent investigation. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan described the incident as a "horrific attack" and stressed the need for a thorough and independent investigation.


Dasht-e Barchi, a predominantly Hazara and Shia area in west Kabul, has witnessed multiple targeted attacks in recent years. Schools, educational centers, mosques, health facilities, and gatherings in this area have been targeted on various occasions, including the Syed al-Shuhada school in 2021 where 85 people were killed and hundreds injured; the Kaj educational center in 2022; the Mawoud educational center in 2018; and the Dasht-e Barchi 100-bed hospital in 2020. These incidents are considered part of the pattern of repeated violence against Afghanistan's Hazara and Shia community, which has left hundreds killed and injured in recent years.



The United States Department of State has announced that it is aware of reports regarding the recent explosion at an educational center in Kabul's Dasht-e Barchi area and the injury of dozens of students in this incident.

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