Thirty-Seven Police Cadets Killed in Afghanistan in Suicide Bombings outside Kabul

At least 37 police cadets were killed in Afghanistan after two suicide bombers targeted their convoy near Kabul. About 40 people were also injured in these attacks.

Suicide attacks occurred at 11 am local time, about 20 km west of Kabul in Paghman district.

Taliban has claimed responsibility of the attack.

Musa Rehman, the district governor of Paghman revealed that the first suicide bomber targeted two buses carrying police cadets. The suicide car bomber rammed one of the buses in the convoy. Then a second bomber detonated explosives after police personnel arrived at the scene to help injured. Musa said four civilians were among those killed in these attacks.

The cadets were returning from a training center at Wardak district and were going to Kabul for Eid celebrations.

Jabiullah Muzahid, the spokesperson of Taliban, also revealed that two suicide bombers of Taliban had accomplished these attacks.

“As residents and other police in the convoy moved to evacuate the casualties of the first blast, another suicide bomber, possibly on foot, blew himself up among them,” said a witness who gave his name as Hamidullah.

President Ashraf Ghani described the attack as a “crime against humanity.”

“While Muslims are busy praying during this holy month of Ramadan, the Taliban keep committing reprehensible crimes by killing innocent people and spreading fear and terror,” he said in a statement.

Ghani said these attacks are a sign of the Taliban’s “defeat on the battlefield.”

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi revealed that more than 400 police cadets were traveling in the convoy on Thursday.

“Why are they transporting so many police in marked police buses in the face of past deadly attacks?” asked one resident, Mohammad Bashir. “Why can’t the government learn from past mistakes?”

Taliban has recently increased attacks in Afghanistan, after the appointment of their new leader. Their main targets are Afghan government offices, international organizations, foreign military, Afghan army and Afghan police force.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has condemned the bombings.

“We will continue to stand with our Afghan partners and friends as they work to bring peace and security to Afghanistan,” the Embassy said in a statement.