An explosion at Shama-e Hidayat school in Dasht-e-Barchi, western Kabul, injured multiple people — many of them students — at about 4:30pm local time. Eyewitnesses say several pupils were taken to Alami Hospital and footage shows crowds and ambulances at the scene. Local outlets report a hand grenade caused the blast, but the claim and casualty figures remain unverified. Dasht-e-Barchi is largely home to the Hazara minority, a community previously targeted by ISIS-K.
Explosion at Dasht-e-Barchi School in Kabul Injures Students; Local Reports Cite Hand Grenade
Taliban members attend a rally to mark five years in power, outside the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2026 [File: Mohammad Yunus Yawar/Reuters]
An explosion at the private Shama-e Hidayat school in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood of western Kabul injured several people — many of them students — on Monday afternoon, local reports say.
Local outlets reported the blast occurred at about 4:30pm local time (12:00pm GMT) as pupils were leaving school. Eyewitnesses told Hasht-e Subh Daily that several students were taken to Alami Hospital. Video shared by Afghanistan International shows crowds and ambulances near the scene.
Both Kabul Now and TOLOnews reported that the explosion was caused by a hand grenade, but international outlets including Al Jazeera have not independently verified that claim. Government officials had not issued a statement at the time of reporting.
The precise number of wounded and whether there were any fatalities remain unconfirmed. Authorities and emergency services have yet to release an official casualty count or a definitive cause-of-blast determination.
Context
Dasht-e-Barchi is predominantly home to Afghanistan's Hazara minority. Islamic State's Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), an affiliate of ISIL, has previously targeted Hazara neighbourhoods and other religious minorities in attacks on mosques, schools and workplaces.
Note: This story is based on local media and eyewitness accounts. Key details remain unverified; updates will follow as official information becomes available.
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