Afghanistan: Four, including Spanish tourists killed in armed attack

At least four people including three foreigners were killed and seven others were injured in an armed attack in Bamyan province of Afghanistan as reported by Khaama Press News Agency citing the spokesperson of the Talibancontrolled Ministry of InteriorSpokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani shared that four individuals have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in the attack and out of seven injured three are foreignersAs of now no individual or organization has claimed responsibility for the attackQani condemned this attack on his social media platform X and said the perpetrators would be arrested and punished Khaama Press reportedThe spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban did not say anything about the identities of the foreign citizens targetedLater on Spains Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the three individuals killed on Friday were Spanish citizens At least one Spanish national was also among those injured Al Jazeera reportedSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on social media that he was overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan offering his condolences to the families and friends of the victimsSanchez also said he was following the situation closely and pledged consular supportSobrecogido por la noticia del asesinato de turistas espantildeoles en AfganistaacutenSigo la situacioacuten puntualmente La Unidad de Emergencia Consular del MAECgob estaacute trabajando para ofrecer toda la asistencia necesariaQuiero trasladar todo mi afecto a sus familiares y amigosmdash Pedro Saacutenchez sanchezcastejon May 17 2024However according to the local people the attack on Friday in Bamyan four foreign tourists and their driver were killed and eight ordinary individuals including a driver were injured The report added that the foreign tourists were likely citizens of RussiaAccording to several reports ISIS has been active in Afghanistan particularly in certain regions where it has sought to establish a presence and carry out its extremist agenda Khaama Press reportedDespite the Talibans control over much of the country ISIS has continued to pose a significant security threat through its insurgent activities including targeted attacks on civilians security forces and infrastructureThe groups tactics often involve suicide bombings assassinations and intimidation aiming to destabilize the region and undermine the authority of the TalibanHowever despite efforts to combat ISIS the group continues to carry out attacks highlighting the persistent security threats faced by Afghanistan and the difficulties in achieving lasting peace and stability in the region