Explosion reported at school in Afghan capital Kabul

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkTaliban members attend a rally to mark five years in power, outside the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2026 [File: Mohammad Yunus Yawar/Reuters]By News AgenciesPublished On 17 Aug 202617 Aug 2026Several people have reportedly been injured in an explosion in a western district of the Afghan capital Kabul.Reports on Monday said that a blast took place at a school in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood at around 4:30pm local time (12:00pm GMT).Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What the Taliban achieved and failed to achieve in five yearslist 2 of 3Afghan refugees face an uncertain future as Europe shifts to the rightlist 3 of 3Five years on, how will Taliban deal with armed opposition?end of listSeveral students from the private “Shama-e Hidayat” school and educational institution in the Mahdia neighbourhood were injured, according to news outlets.Eyewitnesses said that several students have been transferred to Alami Hospital, Hasht-e Subh Daily reported.The number of people injured and the cause of the explosion have not been identified. Neither is it clear whether anyone was killed.Al Jazeera has also not been able to verify the reports or confirm the details. Government officials are yet to comment. Footage posted by Afghanistan International, based in London, shows crowds of people surrounding ambulances near the site of the reported explosion.The blast is believed to have happened at the end of the schoolday, with children from the school accounting for the majority of the injured.According to both Kabul Now and TOLOnews, which is based in the Afghan capital, the explosion was caused by a hand grenade.Dasht-e-Barchi is predominantly home to Afghanistan’s Hazara minority group.Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which is affiliated with ISIL, has previously carried out attacks against Afghanistan’s Hazara community, as well as other religious minorities. The group has targeted mosques, schools and workplaces.