The explosion inside the center in the Dashti Barchi neighborhood of Kabul — populated mostly by members of Afghanistan’s minority Shiite community — took place in the morning hours, said Khalid Zadran, the Taliba spokesperson.
At least 19 students including high school graduates, both girls and boys, who were taking a practice university entrance exam when the blast went off, the spokesperson said.
The center is known as the Kaaj Higher Educational Center and helps students prepare and study for college entrance exams, among its activities.
Taliban also said that the education centers in the area will need to ask the Taliban for additional security when they host events with big gatherings, such as the study prep on Friday during which the blast took place.
An eyewitness, who had been attending the education centre, said that the centre had invited students to come at around 6:30 a.m. on Friday for the practice exam. Around 300 students were present during the practice exam.
“First, we heard the sounds of a few gunshots at the main gate. Everyone was worried and tried to run to a different direction. Soon after that, a huge explosion occurred inside the center," the eyewitness said.
While the eyewitness was unharmed in the explosion, he said he saw dozens of bodies of those who were killed and people who were wounded in the suicide blast. “I was so afraid and couldn’t even move myself to help them. Later, other people ran inside and took us out," he added.
The suicide bombing was the latest in a steady stream of violence since the Taliban seized power. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack
The Islamic State group — the chief rival of the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 — has in the past targeted the Hazara community, including in Dashti Barchi.
“Our teams have dispatched at the site of the blast to find out more details," Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said earlier.
(With agency inputs)
