More than 30 people have lost their lives as a bomb exploded outside a school in the Afghan capital Kabul.
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The blast occurred in the Shia majority neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, western Kabul, on Saturday.
“More than 30 students and other countrymen have been killed, and over 50 more were wounded. The toll is rising,” said Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian.
While the Taliban denied involvement in the act of terror, President Ashraf Ghani blamed the militant group for the explosion.
“This savage group (Taliban) does not have the power to confront security forces on the battlefield, and instead targets with brutality and barbarism public facilities and the girls’ school,” the president said.
Kabul is on high alert as the United States has begun to pull out its troops from the country.
Washington kicked off the final stage of the withdrawal last week. Military officials have suggested the process could be completed by as early as July 4.
Citing US officials, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that European allies of the United State are pushing for a delay in the pullout process, so that they could have enough time to leave Afghanistan.
Washington has already pledged to provide logistical support to its coalition partners throughout the drawdown.
In response, it has apparently agreed to delay the process by two weeks, the journal said.
US President Joe Biden has missed a deadline agreed between the Taliban and the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump.
Under that agreement reached in Qatar last year, foreign forces were to have left Afghanistan by May 1.
President Biden, however, pushed back the May 1 deadline, saying his administration would be completing the military exit by the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Observers warn that in the absence of a peace deal between the Taliban and Kabul, the militant group could overrun the Afghan government by the end of the year,
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, however, said his government forces are fully capable of keeping militants at bay.
He noted that the withdrawal of US and NATO forces will remove any pretext for the Taliban to continue launching attacks.
“Who are you killing? What are you destroying? Your pretext of fighting the foreigners is now over,” Ghani said.
The president has offered a share in power to the Taliban.
