On 20 December 2020, a car bomb attack in Kabul’s Khoshal Khan neighbourhood killed 10 civilians and wounded 52 others. The dead included women, children and the elderly.
The bomb targeted a convoy transporting Khan Mohammad Wardak, a member of the Afghan parliament, who was reportedly injured in the attack.
The blast set alight surrounding civilian vehicles, and damaged nearby buildings and shops. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In recent months, Afghanistan has witnessed a rise in “sticky bomb” attacks against Afghan officials and other high-profile targets.
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records casualties (i.e. people killed and injured) from explosive violence around the world as reported in English-language news sources.
In 2020 AOAV recorded 3,416 civilian casualties and 2,740 military casualties from explosive violence in Afghanistan.
AOAV also recorded at least 413 child casualties from explosive violence in Afghanistan in 2020.
AOAV strongly condemns the attack in Kabul and urgently calls for states to collaborate to address the threat of explosive violence. The use of explosive weaponry in populated areas has far reaching implications and preventative measures must be implemented to reduce the serious impact on civilians.
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