The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP [ISIS-K], claimed the attacks.
Qatar strongly condemned the two deadly blasts targeting Afghanistan’s largest military hospital on Wednesday, renewing its rejection of violence and terrorism regardless of the motives or reasons.
“The Ministry also expressed the State of Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims and the government and people of Afghanistan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” read a statement from the Gulf state’s foreign ministry.
The two deadly explosions took place on Tuesday at the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital entrance in Kabul and was later followed by gunfire.
At least 25 people were killed and over 50 people were wounded when gunmen from the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP [ISIS-K], opened fire shortly after the explosions. A health worker at the hospital said the gunfire was followed by the first explosion and the second took place 10 minutes later.
Deputy Minister of Information and Culture in the Taliban-led government Zabihullah Mujahid said that all gunmen from the terrorist group were killed within 15 minutes. He added that the Taliban’s special forces were dropped by helicopters to prevent the attackers from entering the hospital.
Mawlawi Hamdullah Mukhlis, Taliban military commander and member of the Haqqani network, was among those killed in the attacks.
The latest blasts come amid a series of violent attacks conducted by the IS-affiliate since the Taliban’s rise to power on 15 August. Among such assaults were the multiple blasts in Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on 26 August, where more than 170 were killed.
It also conducted a similar attack on the military hospital in 2017, where 30 people were killed.
ISIS-Khorosan first emerged in eastern Afghanistan at the end of 2014 and is known to be an enemy of both the West and the Taliban.
The presence of the IS-affiliate raised concerns among the international community during the past couple of months. Politicians have called on the Taliban-led interim government to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorism.
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