The Taliban government announced on Saturday that, in addition to the numerous wounded, the corpses of three Spanish tourists and three Afghans who were fatally shot during a tour in Afghanistan were transported to the capital.
On Friday evening, the group was targeted by gunfire as they traversed a market in the mountainous city of Bamiyan, located in central Afghanistan, approximately 100 miles from the capital, Kabul.
“The forensic department is presently housing all deceased individuals who have been relocated to Kabul.” Furthermore, Kabul is the location of the injured. Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesperson for the interior ministry, informed AFP that women are among the deceased and injured.
One of the eight wounded individuals, four of whom are foreigners, is the sole elderly foreign woman who is not in a highly stable situation. According to Qani, the fatality toll had risen to six, consisting of two Afghan civilians and one Taliban member.
Spain’s foreign ministry disclosed on Friday that three of the deceased were Spanish travelers, and that at least one additional Spanish national sustained injuries. According to preliminary information from hospital sources, the injured individuals were from Norway, Australia, Lithuania, and Spain.
Qani continued, “They were accosted while they were wandering around the bazaar.”
“The Islamic Emirate is currently conducting a comprehensive investigation into the matter. Seven suspects have been apprehended, and one of them has sustained injuries.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated on X, which was previously known as Twitter, that he was “overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish travelers in Afghanistan.” European Union condemned the attack with the utmost severity.
“The families and loved ones of the victims who lost their lives and those injured in the atrocity are in our thoughts,” the alliance stated in a statement.
The Taliban government, which assumed control in 2021 following a decade-long insurgency against foreign forces, has not yet been formally recognized by the Tany government.
Nevertheless, it has maintained a burgeoning tourism industry, as demonstrated by the fact that more than 5,000 foreign visitors visited Afghanistan in 2023, according to official data.
Due to the evacuation of the majority of embassies, travelers are unable to obtain consular assistance during their vacations. Furthermore, the country has been advised against all travel by a number of Western nations due to the danger of abduction and attacks. The nation’s health system is in a state of disrepair, and its road infrastructure is insufficient, in addition to security concerns.
Bamiyan, Afghanistan’s premier tourism destination, is renowned for its breathtaking mountains and turquoise lakes. It was previously the site of the world’s largest Buddha statues, which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 during their previous administration.
The Taliban authorities have substantially decreased the frequency of suicide attacks and bombings in Afghanistan, and fatal attacks on foreigners are exceedingly rare.
The jihadist organization has launched an attack on foreign interests, such as Pakistan and Russian embassies, as well as Chinese merchants, in order to undermine the Taliban government.
