An armed attack against a group of tourists in the Afghan province of Bamiyan, northwest of the capital, Kabul, has left at least four dead, three of them Spanish nationals, as confirmed by the Spanish Foreign Ministry, which is in contact with the Delegation of the European Union in the area.
Foreign sources confirm to elDiario.es that at least another Spanish tourist has been injured in the shooting. The Ministry is working, through the Consular Emergency Unit, to clarify the circumstances of the events, assist those affected with everything they need and contact their families.
As reported by the American newspaper The New York Times, the shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m., when an armed man shot at a group of tourists as they were leaving a bazaar in the capital of the province of Bamiyan, in the center. of the Afghan country.
In addition to the four dead, a total of seven more people have been injured: four other foreign tourists, one of them also Spanish, and three Afghans. According to local media, among the injured foreigners, several of them in serious condition, there is at least one person of Norwegian nationality, another of Australian nationality and a third of Lithuanian nationality.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of the Interior, has confirmed this shooting and the death of three foreigners in it, in addition to the arrest of four people in relation to this event. So far no armed group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has condemned this “accident” and has expressed its deepest feelings towards the families of the victims and assures that “all criminals will be found and punished.”
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has declared on the social network Twitter (now ‘X’) that he is “overwhelmed” by the news and has communicated that he is following the situation promptly, in addition to conveying all his affection to the family and friends of the murdered tourists. Other members of the Government, such as the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, have sent messages of “affection” to the relatives of the deceased.
The mountainous province of Bamiyan is home to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed natural area and the remains of two giant Buddha statues, which were blown up by the Taliban during their previous rule in 2001. Since they retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, The Taliban have promised to restore security and increase the number of tourists entering the country.
Spain has closed its Embassy in Kabul since August 2021, when the Taliban took power. In its travel recommendations published on its website, Foreign Affairs recommends “not traveling under any circumstances to Afghanistan” and “remember that there is a risk of kidnapping or attack throughout the country.”
This attack is the first against foreign citizens since foreign military forces left the country in the summer of 2021 following the Taliban’s takeover.
Source: www.eldiario.es
