View source for Explosions on 21 April 2022 in Afghanistan

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title            = Explosions on 21 April 2022 in Afghanistan
| partof           = the [[Persecution of Shias by the Islamic State]]
| location         = [[Afghanistan]]
| target           = [[Hazaras]]
| date             = 21 April 2022
| type             = [[Bomb]]ing
| fatalities       = 31+
| injuries         = 90+
| perpetrators     = Unknown
| weapons          =
}}
{{Campaignbox Afghanistan}}
On April 21, 2022, several separate explosions rocked different parts of Afghanistan. The first explosion occurred at the biggest Shia Muslim Seh Dokan mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |last1=Akbary and Gibbons-Neff |first1=Yaqoob and Thomas |title=Explosion at Afghan Mosque Kills at Least 10 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/world/asia/afghanistan-mosque-bombing.html |website=[[The New York Times|nytimes]]|date=21 April 2022 }}</ref> Over 31 people were killed and another 87 injured in the mosque explosion. Another explosion targeted a vehicle near a police station [[Kunduz]] city, leaving 4 dead and 18 injured.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Afghanistan: 'Blood and fear everywhere' after deadly IS blast |work=BBC News |date=21 April 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61174991 }}</ref> A mine planted explosion hit a van of the military in [[Khogyani District|Khogiani]] killing four Taliban members and wounding a fifth. The roadside bomb wounded two children in the Niaz Beyk area of Kabul. [[Islamic State]] (ISIL) has claimed several attacks including the bombing of the Seh Dokan mosque.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=Deadly blasts claimed by Islamic State hit northern Afghan cities |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/blast-hits-shiite-mosque-northern-afghanistan-causing-multiple-casualties-2022-04-21/ |website=[[Reuters]]|date=21 April 2022 }}</ref>
==Background==
After [[Doha Agreement (2020)|Doha Agreement]] between the US and the [[Taliban]] and seizure Afghanistan by Taliban, the rival [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province]] group attacks against Afghan minorities were reported to have surged in the country, including [[April 2022 Kabul school bombing|2022 Kabul school bombing]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-19 |title=Blasts near Kabul schools kill at least 6 civilians, hurt 17 |url=https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-142becb3a5d4e1bfcf866a0697457b26 |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> [[2021 Kabul school bombing]].<ref name="BBC_10_May_2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57046527|title=Kabul attack: Families bury schoolchildren of blast that killed dozens|date=10 May 2021|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Most of the victims were Hazaras (Hazaras practice Shia Islam) who had been targeted by ISIL in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power.<ref name="Hazaras">{{cite news |last1=Mehrdad |first1=Ezzatullah |title=School Bombing Latest Tragedy for Afghanistan's Hazaras |url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/school-bombing-latest-tragedy-for-afghanistans-hazaras/ |access-date=19 April 2022 |work=The Diplomat |date=27 May 2021}}</ref> The Taliban also target the Hazaras for violent persecution.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adam|last=Nossiter|title='Why Do We Deserve to Die?' Kabul's Hazaras Bury Their Daughters|date=9 May 2021|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/09/world/europe/afghanistan-school-attack-hazaras.html|access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref>
==Event==
On April 21, 2022, several separate explosions shook different parts of Afghanistan. The first blast occurred at the biggest Shia Muslim mosque, known as Seh Dokan mosque in the [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] city of [[Mazar-i-Sharif]].<ref name="Al Jazeera">{{cite web |title=At least 16 killed as explosions rock Afghan cities |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/21/deadly-explosion-rips-through-shia-mosque-in-afghanistan |website=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|aljazeera]]}}</ref> the Sunni Islamic State which has claimed several attacks said: the explosion on the 2nd district inside of Seh Dokan mosque was carried out by booby-trapped bag while worshippers were praying in the mosque.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |last1=Alkhaldi and Popalazai |first1=Celine and Ehsan |title=Explosions in northern Afghanistan kill at least 15 people|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/21/asia/explosions-northern-afghanistan-intl/index.html |website=[[CNN]]|date=21 April 2022 }}</ref> Over 31 people were killed and another 87 were injured in the mosque explosion.<ref name="BBC"/>
A roadside explosion blasted that targeted the minority Shia in the Niaz Beyk area of [[Kabul]] (in the same area 2022 Kabul school bombing) wounded two children.<ref name="washingtonpost">{{cite news |title=Blasts across Afghanistan kill at least 10, injure dozens |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/roadside-bomb-explosion-in-western-kabul-wounds-2-children/2022/04/21/00fbf048-c152-11ec-b5df-1fba61a66c75_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
Matiullah Rohani, Head of Information and Culture in [[Kunduz province]] reported Another explosion targeted a vehicle exploded near a police station in Kunduz, leaving 4 dead and 18 injured.<ref name="washingtonpost"/><ref name="france24">{{cite web |title=IS group claims deadly blast at Shiite mosque amid series of attacks across Afghanistan |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220421-deadly-attacks-target-shiites-in-afghanistan-is-group-claims-mosque-blast |website=[[France24]]|date=21 April 2022 }}</ref>
A night mine planted explosion hit a van of the military in Khogiani, a district in the eastern [[Nangarhar Province]], killing four Taliban members and wounding a fifth.<ref name="voanews">{{cite web |last1=Gul |first1=Ayaz |title=String of Bombings in Afghanistan Kills 17, Injures 52 |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/string-of-bombings-in-afghanistan/6538971.html |website=[[Voice of America|voanews]]|date=21 April 2022 }}</ref>
Islamic State (ISIL) which has claimed several attacks, described the attacks as part of an ongoing global campaign to "avenge" the deaths of its former leader.<ref name="BBC"/>
==See also==
*[[List of terrorist attacks in Kabul]]
*[[Persecution of Hazara people]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afghanistan explosions, 21 April 2022}}
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[[Category:2022 murders in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:2022 building bombings]]
[[Category:2020s crimes in Kabul|2022 school bombing]]
[[Category:21st-century mass murder in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2022]]
[[Category:Attacks on schools in Asia]]
[[Category:Building bombings in Kabul|2022 school]]
[[Category:High school killings]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 2022]]
[[Category:Mass murder in Kabul|2022 school bombing]]
[[Category:Massacres of Hazara people]]
[[Category:School bombings in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:School killings in Asia]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Afghanistan in 2022]]