ISLAMABAD (AP) — A shell exploded during a cricket match in Kabul on Friday, injuring 13 spectators at the stadium, an emergency hospital in the Afghan capital said.
The Italian-run emergency hospital in Kabul said on Twitter that 12 of the wounded were hospitalized, while another patient was treated and discharged.
No one claimed responsibility for the explosion at Kabul’s International Cricket Stadium, where several hundred people had gathered to watch the match between Band-e-Amir Dragons and Pamir Zalmi.
The afternoon game was part of the domestic T20 Shpageza Cricket League games held every year. Cricket is a very popular sport in Afghanistan.
The Taliban-appointed Kabul police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, said the game was briefly suspended because of the shell blast but later resumed.
“The game was between two teams in Shpageza League and an explosion happened during the game,” said Nassib Khan, executive director of the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Recently, the regional branch of the Islamic State group, known as Islamic State in Khorasan province, has alleged attacks in Kabul and other parts of the country. The IS branch, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, is considered the greatest security challenge for the country’s new Taliban rulers.
Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last August, the former insurgents have launched a full-scale crackdown on ISIS, which has taken root in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the deputy UN mission in Afghanistan, condemned Friday’s attack in a statement. He was at the stadium at the time of the attack and was due to address the Afghan Cricket Federation.
Alakbarov could not confirm if there were any fatalities at the stadium but wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“Today’s explosion is another harrowing reminder of the appalling and sudden violence the Afghan people continue to face,” he said. “Sport brings hope to people, inspires children and generations alike, plays a vital role in breaking down barriers and bringing communities together.”
Thomas West, the US special envoy for Afghanistan, said he was deeply saddened by reports of Friday’s explosion during a cricket match in Kabul.
“Violence serves no purpose and is not the answer for the people of Afghanistan,” said West, who succeeded Zalmay Khalilzad in the post.
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