The death toll from bombs planted outside a girls’ school in an area of the Afghan capital populated largely by Shiite Hazaras rose to 50 Sunday as the Taliban denied government accusations that they were behind the bloody attack.
The Saturday’s blasts rocked the west Kabul district of Dasht-e-Barchi, a regular target of Sunni Islamist militants and comes as the United States military continues to pull out its last 2,500 troops from the violence-wracked country
Describing Saturday’s carnage, Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told reporters that a car bomb first detonated in front of the Sayed Al-Shuhada School, and when the students rushed out in panic two more devices exploded.
He said more than 100 people were wounded, adding that most of the victims were female students.
No group has so far claimed the attack, but Afghan officials including President Ashraf Ghani blamed the Taliban.
Speaking in a statement after the blasts, Ghani said that the savage group does not have the power to confront security forces on the battlefield, and instead targets public facilities and the girls’ school.
The insurgents have denied involvement and insist they have not carried out attacks in Kabul since February last year, when they signed a deal with the United States that paved the way for peace talks and withdrawal of the remaining US troops.
The United States was supposed to have pulled all forces out by May 1 under a deal struck with the Taliban last year, but Washington pushed back the date to September 11.
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