Kabul: Gunmen in western Afghanistan killed at least seven people Friday in an attack targeting civilians at a recreational spot in Herat province, the interior ministry said.
“Preliminary information indicates that seven people were killed and 13 others were wounded, some of whom are reported to be in critical condition,” ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani wrote on X.
“Unidentified armed men riding motorcycles” targeted civilians near a village southwest of Herat city, Qani said.
A Herat official said the attack happened on the outskirts of the Sayed Mohammad Agha Shia shrine.
“Security forces responded immediately after the incident, arresting one suspect, and efforts are ongoing to identify and detain other perpetrators,” Mawlawi Ahmadullah Muttaqi, Herat’s information chief, said according to a statement from his office.
The Herat official gave a different toll, of four killed and 15 wounded. There have been sporadic attacks since the Taliban authorities returned to power in 2021, including a deadly explosion at a Chinese restaurant in the capital Kabul in January. Taliban officials have vowed to restore security to the country after decades of conflict.
