Attack on Picnic Spot in Herat Province
Multiple fatalities have occurred after gunmen targeted civilians at a picnic location in western Afghanistan, according to officials and a local medical professional.
Reports vary regarding the death toll from the incident in the Enjil district of Herat province on Friday. A spokesperson for the Taliban's interior ministry reported seven fatalities, while a provincial official cited four deaths.
No organization has claimed responsibility for the attack to date.
Details of the Incident
An interior ministry spokesperson stated that "unidentified armed men" on motorcycles opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri. This recreational area is typically crowded on Fridays.
A doctor from a hospital in Herat province informed the BBC that the victims were Hazara Shia Muslims.
The doctor indicated that the victims had gathered at a local shrine for a picnic. He provided a higher casualty count than officials, stating that 12 individuals were killed and 12 injured.
Shia Muslims, predominantly from the Hazara ethnic group, constitute a minority in Afghanistan and have been targeted previously.
Official Statements and Response
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, reported that the incident occurred at approximately 15:00 local time (11:30 BST).
"In a terrorist incident, armed men opened fire on residents who had gone to Deh Mehri village in Enjil district for recreation," he told the BBC.
Muttaqi added that four bodies and 15 wounded individuals, including two women, had been transported to the Herat regional hospital.
He also mentioned that security forces had apprehended a suspect.
In a post on X, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani stated that preliminary information suggested seven people were killed and 13 others wounded, with some in critical condition.
Muttaqi noted that the village where the attack occurred is predominantly Shiite and contains a Shiite Muslim shrine frequently visited by many for prayer and visitation.
