ISIS takes responsibility for the terrorist attack that left three Spanish tourists dead in Afghanistan

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Afghanistan, which left four dead and seven injured. Among the deceased were three Spanish and Afghan tourists, which is why the attack provoked a reaction from the Spanish government. At least four people were arrested after the attack that occurred on Saturday, May 18.

The event took place in the city of Bamiyan, about 180 kilometers from the capital, Kabul. According to reports, in the blink of an eye, a man approached a market on foot, pulled out a gun and opened fire indiscriminately. "There was blood everywhere," said Anne-France Brill, who was at the scene.

The attack is the first against foreign tourists since the Taliban returned to power in mid-2021 after the eventful withdrawal of the United States. According to Taliban authorities, the bodies of the victims were taken to Kabul along with the survivors, where they were quickly treated. Taliban spokesman Abdul Mateen Qanise reported that four people were detained after the attack.

They were treated by Emergency, an Italian NGO that manages a hospital in the capital of Afghanistan. "The injured arrived at our hospital at 3:00 a.m. this morning, about 10 hours after the incident occurred. The Afghan national was the most seriously injured, but now all patients are stable," said Dejan Panic, national director of the NGO in Afghanistan.

As for responsibility for the incident, although it took a few hours, ISIS claimed it on Saturday, thus increasing tension with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.

"Overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan. I am following the situation closely. The Consular Emergency Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to offer all the necessary assistance. I want to convey all my affection to their family and friends," President Pedro Sánchez wrote on his X account.

In turn, Spanish diplomats traveled to Afghanistan from Qatar and Pakistan to facilitate the repatriation of the bodies of its citizens and the transfer of the wounded.