Death toll nears 70 in bombing at Kabul school

A car bombing outside has left nearly 70 people dead and 165 wounded in Kabul on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The first bomb was detonated in front of  the Sayed Al-Shuhada school with two more bombs exploding as students tried to flee the scene.

Reuters reported that most of the deceased were school girls with some families still searching for their children at hospitals.

The bombing occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi, which is home to a large Shi’ite, which has been a target of the Islamic State. 

President Biden announced in April that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Families of the victims blamed the government and Western countries for failing to end ongoing violence in the country.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani blamed the Taliban but a spokesman for the group denied involvement, Reuters reported.

China’s ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu blamed the violence on the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

“China calls on foreign troops in Afghanistan to take into full account the security of people in the country and the region, pull out in a responsible manner and avoid inflicting more turmoil and suffering on the Afghan people,” Yang wrote in his post. 

4/4 life and safety. China calls on foreign troops in Afghanistan to take into full account the security of people in the country and the region, pull out in a responsible manner and avoid inflicting more turmoil and suffering on the Afghan people.

— Wang Yu 王愚 (@ChinaEmbKabul) May 9, 2021