Multiple people have been killed after gunmen targeted civilians at a picnic spot in western Afghanistan, officials and a local doctor have said. There have been different reported death tolls from the attack in the Enjil district of Herat province on Friday. A Taliban interior ministry spokesperson said seven people were killed, while a provincial official reported that four had died.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Unidentified armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, an interior ministry spokesperson said. The site typically sees many visitors on Fridays. A doctor from a hospital in Herat province indicated that the victims were primarily Hazara Shia Muslims. The doctor stated that the casualties were higher than the officials reported, with twelve confirmed dead and twelve injured.
Shia Muslims, especially from the Hazara ethnic group, are a minority in Afghanistan and have faced targeted violence in the past. Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, confirmed that the incident happened at about 15:00 local time. He described it as a terrorist event where armed individuals opened fire on residents vacationing in Deh Mehri village.
Muttaqi reported that four bodies and fifteen wounded individuals, including two women, had been taken to the Herat regional hospital. A suspect has been arrested by security forces. In a post on X, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani mentioned that preliminary information indicated seven fatalities and thirteen injuries, with several victims in critical condition. The attacked area is known for its Shiite Muslim shrine, which attracts many visitors for worship and prayer.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Unidentified armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, an interior ministry spokesperson said. The site typically sees many visitors on Fridays. A doctor from a hospital in Herat province indicated that the victims were primarily Hazara Shia Muslims. The doctor stated that the casualties were higher than the officials reported, with twelve confirmed dead and twelve injured.
Shia Muslims, especially from the Hazara ethnic group, are a minority in Afghanistan and have faced targeted violence in the past. Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, confirmed that the incident happened at about 15:00 local time. He described it as a terrorist event where armed individuals opened fire on residents vacationing in Deh Mehri village.
Muttaqi reported that four bodies and fifteen wounded individuals, including two women, had been taken to the Herat regional hospital. A suspect has been arrested by security forces. In a post on X, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani mentioned that preliminary information indicated seven fatalities and thirteen injuries, with several victims in critical condition. The attacked area is known for its Shiite Muslim shrine, which attracts many visitors for worship and prayer.
