Death Toll of Suicide Bombing in Kabul Rises to 53

On Monday, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) updated the number of victims caused by a suicide attack that took place in a school located in an area populated by the Shiite Hazara minority in Kabul, where 110 people were injured and 7 men and 46 girls and women died.

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The attack in the Dasht-e-Barchi district was carried out by a man who detonated explosives in a classroom where hundreds of young people were taking part in a practice for university entrance exams.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for this attack. On previous occasions, however, members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group have claimed responsibility for attacks against the Hazara minority, whom they consider "apostate."

This violent act was condemned by the interim government of the Taliban, which prohibited female secondary education but allowed women to pursue university studies.

On Saturday, women took to the streets in various Afghan cities to protest the attack, defend their right to education and demand protection for the Hazara minority.

One of those demostrations was dispersed with police violence and shots fired into the air. The next day, rallies in the cities of Herat and Bamyan were also suppressed.

On Monday, college students in Mazar-e-Sharif City staged a protest that was violently dispersed by provincial police, which alleged that authorities prevented the protesters from moving around the city because "they had not coordinated with the administration."

Since the Talivan came to power in August 2021, however, they have prevented any critical demonstrations against their regime and prevented the media from covering these events.

In recent years, attacks against the Hazara minority have become common and schools have been a regular target. In May 2021, for instance, an attack on a girls' school in Dasht-e-Barchi left at least 110 dead and 290 people injured.