High-ranking Afghan education ministry official killed in Kabul blast

Kabul, Aug 19 (efe-epa).- A senior employee of the Afghan education ministry was killed and his driver injured in a sticky bomb attack in Kabul on Wednesday, officials said.

“Abdul Baqi Amin was martyred in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in the Kabul city,” Firdaws Faramarz, a Kabul police spokesperson, told EFE.

He said a magnetic bomb was attached to his car before the device exploded around 8 am in an area in the west of the city.

Nooria Nijrabi, an education ministry spokesperson, confirmed the attack that also wounded Amin’s driver, Gulbadin.

Nijrabi told EFE that Amin was the director of the scientific council in the education ministry.

“The education ministry strongly condemns the attack and calls the perpetrators of such attacks enemies of progress and development of the country,” she said.

Amin was also a university lecturer and prominent political analyst in the war-torn country.

He was also a prominent peace activist and mostly involved in peace conferences and public awareness for the promotion of peace.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack is the latest in a series of target killings of religious leaders and analysts.

Although the government is blaming the Taliban for such attacks, the insurgent group has denied their involvement in such attacks.

The latest attack comes a day after at least 10 people, including women and children, were injured as Kabul was struck by multiple rocket attacks when Afghanistan marked its 101st independence day.

The attacks occurred around 9.30 am when at least 15 rockets were fired from north of the city and landed in areas housing civilian residences, diplomatic missions, government buildings, markets, and shops, according to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry.

Bomb blasts and rocket explosions are common in Afghanistan that has been battling nearly two decades of war now.

The government and the Taliban are currently planning peace talks to end the decades of conflict.

However, the peace efforts have been marred by a controversy over the release of the Taliban fighters considered dangerous.

The United States signed a peace agreement with the Taliban in February in Doha to pave the way for a withdrawal of all international troops from the country. In return, the Taliban has provided security guarantees. EFE

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