IS claims responsibility for bomb attack on Afghan journalists

The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that killed a security guard and wounded a group of journalists and children in Mazar-e-Sharif, a city in northern Afghanistan. Saturday's bombing occurred at an event honouring Afghanistan's journalists, and came two days after a suicide bomber killed the Taliban governor of Balkh province in an attack also claimed by IS.

IS said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that the attack against journalists was carried out with a "parcel bomb that IS fighters managed to place and detonate." The event was being held at a cultural centre in the city when the attack took place.

"The blast targeted a rally held inside a Shiite centre to reward several journalists working in agencies involved in the war and instigation against IS," the statement said.

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A security guard was killed, while five journalists and three children were wounded in the bomb attack, police said.

The governor of Balkh, Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, was killed Thursday by a suicide bomber at his office in Mazar-i-Sharif.
That attack was also claimed by IS.

The killing of Muzammil, known for fighting IS jihadists, marked one of the highest-level attacks since the Taliban stormed back to power in 2021.

Violence across Afghanistan has dramatically dropped since the Taliban seized control, but the security situation has again deteriorated with IS claiming several deadly attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)

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