September 2022 Kabul School Bombing

On September 30, 2022, at approximately 7:30 a.m. (UTC+04:30), a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the Kaaj education center in Dashte Barchi, a predominantly Hazara neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 53 people were killed and another 110 were injured. The majority of victims were young Hazara women who were taking a practice university entrance exam at the time of the blast. Approximately 300 recent high school graduates had arrived at the center about an hour before the attack occurred. A witness interviewed by the Associated Press reported hearing gunshots outside the building prior to the detonation.

The Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Hazara people, a Shia Muslim ethnic and religious minority in Afghanistan, have repeatedly been targeted by armed groups, including in this bombing.

The attack occurred roughly a year after the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, ending the war in Afghanistan. At that time, the Taliban had pledged to protect all citizens, including minorities. Despite this, Afghanistan has continued to experience sporadic terrorist attacks, particularly against minority communities such as the Hazara.

The bombing drew widespread condemnation. UNICEF said it was "appalled by the horrific attack," and the United States charge d'affaires at the embassy in Afghanistan, Karen Decker, called the attack "shameful." Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the bombing on Twitter, describing it as a serious crime and expressing sympathy for victims' families. Abdul Rahman Nafiz, a local police chief, reportedly criticized the Kaaj education center for not informing police that the practice exam was taking place. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor said police had arrested a suspect potentially linked to the attack. Muhammad Mohaqiq, chairman of the People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, warned that Hazara resistance would begin and invited others to join.

The Guardian reported that women protesting the attack were beaten by the Taliban. A Twitter campaign using the hashtag #StopHazaraGenocide began on October 2, 2022, and was tweeted more than three million times, gaining support from Afghan and international celebrities.