First ISIS Attack on Foreign Tourists Since the Taliban’s Return
The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility on Sunday for a deadly attack in Afghanistan targeting tourists, resulting in the deaths of three Spaniards and three Afghans.
In a statement posted on the “Telegram” app, the group said its members attacked a tourist bus of “citizens of coalition countries” during their tour of the city, referring to the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in the Middle East.
It added that its members “targeted the tourists and their escorts with machine guns” in the mountainous city of Bamiyan on Friday.
The tourists were shot while shopping in Bamiyan, about 180 kilometers from the capital, Kabul.
The group stated that “the attack is in response to directives from ISIS leaders to target citizens of coalition countries wherever they are found.”
This deadly attack is the first against foreign tourists since the Taliban returned to power in mid-August 2021 in a country where only a few nations have diplomatic representation.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on “X” on Sunday that he “strongly condemns” the attack, noting that he “will work to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished.”
Since the Taliban‘s takeover of Afghanistan, bombings, security incidents, and attacks have increased in many parts of the country.
The terrorist group ISIS, through its Khorasan province branch, typically carries out deadly attacks on mosques and public places, while armed groups occasionally attack Taliban members.
