Indonesia Condemns The Car Bomb Attack That Kills Dozens Of School Students In Afghanistan

Illustration of Afghan police guarding the scene of the bomb explosion. (Parwiz/REUTERS via Antara)

JAKARTA - Three car bomb explosions rocked the Dasht-e-Barchi area, a minority Shia neighborhood of the Hazara ethnicity, on Saturday, May 8 evening local time.

At least 68 people were killed and 165 others injured when the bomb exploded in front of the Sayed Al-Shuhada School. Most of the victims died during the second and third bomb blasts, in which students were about to leave the school after the first bomb blast.

Officials said most of those killed were schoolgirls. Some families are still looking for hospitals for their children.

"The first explosion was very strong and occurred so close to the children that some of them could not be found (the bodies)," said an Afghan official, who did not want to be named, as reported by Reuters, Sunday, May 9.

The enormity of the bomb explosion that occurred, hampered the identification and collection of the bodies of the victims. Some families are still searching for missing relatives on Sundays, gather outside the hospital to read the names pasted on the walls and inspect morgues.

"All night we carried the bodies of girls and boys to the cemetery and prayed for all those injured in the attack," said Mohammed Reza Ali, who has been helping the families of the victims at the private hospital.

In response to this, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned and strongly criticized the car bombing that was directed at schools and left dozens of students dead.

"Indonesia condemns the brutal attack targeting Sayed Ul-Shuhada School, Afghanistan which has caused tens of lives and hundreds of injuries, including innocent female students," wrote the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on the official Twitter account of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sunday, May 9.

"Deep condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and all the people of Afghanistan. Indonesia will continue to support efforts to fight terrorism and achieve lasting peace in Afghanistan," the statement continued.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Gani accused Taliban militants of being behind this explosion. However, the Spokesperson for the Taliban denied this accusation by condemning any action against Afghan civilians.

Security was intensified across Kabul after the attack but authorities said they would not be able to provide security to all schools, mosques, and other public places.

This explosion marked the increasing intensity of terror and armed resistance in Afghanistan after the United States announced the official withdrawal of its troops, followed by the implementation of the withdrawal from 1 May.

Critics of the decision say Islamist militants will seize power and civilians live in fear of once again being targeted by the Taliban's brutal and oppressive rule.