5 August 2022 Kabul Bombing

On 5 August 2022, an explosion struck a Muharram mourning procession in a predominantly Shi'ite neighborhood of western Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack was carried out by Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), a regional affiliate of the Islamic State that has repeatedly targeted Afghanistan's Shi'ite minority, particularly during religious gatherings.

The bombing killed at least 8 people and injured 18 others. A senior Taliban official cited in reporting on the incident stated that explosives had been placed inside a vegetable cart, and that the resulting blast wounded and killed more than 50 people in total, including women and children. This figure from the Taliban official is notably higher than the baseline casualty count reported elsewhere, reflecting differing tolls attributed to different sources in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

The attack occurred during Muharram, a period of religious mourning observed by Shi'ite Muslims, when large processions gather in public spaces, making them recurring targets for sectarian violence in Afghanistan. Western Kabul, home to a significant Shi'ite Hazara population, has been the site of numerous previous attacks attributed to ISKP.

No arrests, prosecutions, or convictions connected to this specific bombing have been reported.