Brian McDonald
The bodies of three Spanish tourists and three Afghans shot dead during a tour in Afghanistan were transported to the capital along with several injured people, the Taliban government said on Saturday.
The group was shot at while walking through a market in the mountainous town of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan, about 100 miles from the capital. Kabulon Friday night.
“All the bodies were transferred to Kabul and are in the forensic department and the injured are also in Kabul. Both the dead and the injured include women,” government Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani told AFP.
“Among the eight injured, four of whom are foreigners, only one elderly foreigner is not in a very stable situation.”
Qani said the death toll had risen to six, including two Afghan civilians and a Taliban member.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that three of the dead were Spanish tourists, adding that at least one other Spanish citizen was injured.
According to preliminary information provided by hospital sources, the injured came from Norway, Australia, Lithuania and Spain.
“They were wandering around the bazaar when they were attacked,” Qani added.
“Seven suspects have been arrested, one of whom is injured, the investigation is still ongoing and the Islamic Emirate is seriously investigating the matter.”
He did not say whether there were multiple shooters.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted in Xpreviously Twitter: “Overwhelmed by news of murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan.”
The European Union condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims who lost their lives and those injured in the attack,” the bloc said in a statement.
O Taliban governmentwhich took power in 2021 after a decade-long insurgency against foreign forces, has not yet been officially recognized by any government.
However, it has supported a fledgling tourism sector, with more than 5,000 foreign tourists expected to visit Afghanistan in 2023, according to official figures.
Tourists spend their holidays without consular support, after most embassies have been evacuated, and many Western nations advise against all travel to the country, warning of risks of kidnapping and attack.
Along with security concerns, the country has limited road infrastructure and a degraded health service.
Bamiyan is Afghanistan’s top tourist destination, known for its turquoise lakes and stunning mountains, and once home to the giant Buddha statues which were blown up by the Taliban in 2001, during their previous government.
The number of bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has fallen sharply since Taliban authorities took power and deadly attacks against foreigners are rare.
However, several armed groups, including the Islamic State group, remain a threat.
The jihadist group has undertaken a campaign of attacks on foreign interests in an attempt to weaken the Taliban government, targeting the embassies of Pakistan and Russia, as well as Chinese businesspeople.
