Kabul: three attacks in three days highlight precarious security situation

Between 22 and 24 October 2024, Afghan media reported three explosions in Kabul. Whilst the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) each claimed separate attacks targeting Taliban members, a third blast (on 23 October 2024) that caused civilian casualties was left unclaimed.

On 22 October 2024, various Afghan news agencies reported an explosion in the Qalacha neighbourhood in Police District (PD) 8. AFF later claimed the attack through its X (formerly Twitter) account and released footage showing the moment of the explosion. According to the armed group, the target was a “vehicle carrying Taliban intelligence militias” and the blast killed two and injured two others. Due to the distance from which the video was recorded, AW was not able to verify the number of victims. 

On 23 October 2024, news agencies reported an explosion in a “crowded area” in PD 1 [34.513841, 69.171748]. CCTV footage of the incident was shared on social media, showing that the blast took place among market stalls selling a variety of products at around 14:40 local time.

Azadi Radio reported that a suspect carrying explosives, who himself was injured in the blast, had been arrested,  according to the Kabul Police spokesperson, Khalid Zadran. Both 8am Media and Zawia News claimed that the explosives had been placed in a street vendor’s cart and detonated remotely. AW was, however, unable to verify the exact origin of the blast as it was out of frame on the CCTV footage.

Casualty numbers are disputed. Tolo News and Amu TV reported that the attack killed one child and injured 11 people, citing the Kabul police. Other sources - including Emergency NGO and independent news agencies such as 8am Media, ABN Pashto, and Zawia News - reported that 20 people were injured and one killed. Zawia News also released photos allegedly showing 12 victims in hospital, two of whom appeared to be children, as seen in the figure below.

The humanitarian organisation Emergency NGO further reported that the hospital initially admitted 11 injured people, and three additional the following day, totalling 14 victims. According to the NGO, four of the victims were minors, including three described as “a three-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy, a sixteen-year-old boy”. Among the 10 adult victims, four were allegedly women and six men. The hospital did not report any victims dead on arrival or dying during treatment.

The attack had not been claimed by any armed group as of 30 October 2024. This is not the first time an explosion targeting civilians in Kabul was left unclaimed. However, past such attacks have mainly taken place in Dasht-e Barchi, a mainly Hazara area in western Kabul, unlike this blast that took place in PD 1 in the centre of the capital. Notable past unclaimed attacks include the suicide bombing at the Kaaj Education Centre in September 2022. While the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) never officially claimed this attack, the group later released propaganda implying they were behind it.

On 24 October 2024, Kabul experienced the third successive attack in as many days, and the second in PD 8. Various Afghan news agencies reported a “powerful explosion” in the Bakery Station area, Kart-e Naw. Aamaj News shared a video of the attack’s aftermath, showing a large crowd gathered around a fire in the middle of the street. NRF claimed the attack a few hours later, stating they had targeted and killed three Taliban members. AW was not able to verify the number of victims independently.

Despite assurances by the Taliban de facto authorities that the country is safe under their rule, attacks do continue in the capital and elsewhere. In a possible effort to counter the narrative that Kabul is becoming unsafe, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, was filmed riding a motorcycle alone at nighttime in an undisclosed location of the capital. 

Neday Baloch, an independent news agency, first shared the footage of Muttaqi’s “night tour” on 29 October 2024. Neday Baloch notes that the video was “shared” with the agency, which could imply it was provided by the Taliban as a means of propaganda. The footage was then quickly shared by pro-Taliban X users, and Taliban officials.

Within 24 hours of footage of Muttaqi’s motorcycle ride being released, dozens of pro-Taliban social media users had seized on it, pushing a narrative that Kabul is a safe city. This feeds into broader Taliban propaganda efforts, which often emphasise the improved security situation as one the group’s main alleged achievements. 

The ground reality, however, is that regular attacks by anti-Taliban actors add to a continued sense of insecurity in the capital. Resistance groups such as NRF and AFF regularly claim attacks against Taliban members in Kabul, while ISKP has continued to target civilians — including the Hazara community, foreign nationals, and government workers.