Afghanistan: 7 people killed, 8 injured in mortar blast in religious school

A mortar bomb blast in a religious school in northern Afghanistan has claimed lives of at least seven students and left eight injured, said the police. Takhar police spokesperson said in a statement that the blast occurred in a religious educational institution in Ashkamish's Shahr-e-Kohna district due to the explosion of an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) bullet.

The blast reportedly happened in Ishkamish district of Takhar province and injured people have been taken to the hospital. Provincial governor spokesperson Jawad Hejri has also confirmed the incident but the details of perpetrators have neither been divulged not any group has claimed the responsibility of the attack. According to Sputnik news, the death toll in the blast could be 10.

Last month, a gruesome attack on a maternity ward, run by Doctors Without Border (MSF), in Kabul killed at least 24 including two newborn babies. The frequent unclaimed attacks could jeopardise the peace agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban, sealed with the help of the United States.

Read: Afghanistan: 1000 Doves Starve To Death After Blue Tiled Mosque Shuts Amid Lockdown

Taliban ties with al Qaeda intact

A UN report said that the ties between the Taliban, especially its Haqqani network branch, and al Qaeda remain close even after a peace deal signed with the United States. The report claimed that the Taliban regularly consulted with al Qaeda during negotiations with the United States and offered guarantees that it would honour their historical ties.

The independent UN sanctions monitors said that the ties stemmed from friendship, intermarriage, shared struggle and ideological sympathy. The report suggested that the success of the US-Taliban agreement may depend upon the Islamic fundamentalist group’s willingness to encourage al Qaeda to put a stop to its current activities in Afghanistan.

Read: US Forces Conducted First Airstrikes Against Taliban Since Eid Ceasefire: Spokesperson

(With agency inputs | Image: AP)