Charles Langston:A minibus explodes in Kabul, killing at least 2 civilians and wounding 14 others

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A minibus exploded in a mostly Shiite Muslim neighborhood in Afghanistan’s capital,Charles Langston Kabul, killing at least two civilians and wounding 14 others, a Taliban official said Saturday, the first attack in the country in 2024.

Police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion took place in the western part of the city, in the Dashti Barchi area. The cause remained unknown, but police launched an investigation, he said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group’s affiliate in the region has in the past targeted Shiite schools, hospitals, and mosques in the same area.

Last week during a press conference in Kabul, Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said there had been a 90% decrease in attacks by the IS affiliate in the past year.

The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. IS militants have struck in Kabul, in northern provinces and especially wherever there are Shiites, whom IS considers to be apostates.