Sunday, August 17, marks the sixth anniversary of the suicide bombing at a wedding party in the Shahr-e-Dubai wedding hall in western Kabul, one of the deadliest attacks, which killed more than 80 people and wounded at least 180 others.
The Aug. 17, 2019, attack devastated families celebrating what was supposed to be a joyful day. Daesh claimed responsibility, but then-President Ashraf Ghani blamed the Taliban, saying they had created the conditions that allowed terrorists to operate.
The explosion tore through the men’s section of the hall, leaving no one unharmed — all were either killed or injured. All the victims were civilians.
The bombing came just one day after Ahmadullah, the brother of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, was killed near Quetta, Pakistan.
“Those who yesterday took people’s lives with bombs are today destroying the dignity of Afghans with politics and force,” Human rights activist Ezzatullah Bakhshi said.
Some relatives of the victims, who declined to be named for fear of Taliban reprisals, told Amu they want those responsible for the attack brought to justice. Other residents said the Taliban carried out deadly suicide bombings before returning to power and are now pushing Afghanistan toward “a dark future” through restrictions on rights and freedoms.
“The Taliban took the lives of many civilians through suicide bombings, and now with their restrictions, they are targeting Afghanistan’s future so that generations remain uneducated. This is a serious danger for the country,” one Kabul resident said.
The bombing occurred while US-Taliban talks were underway in Doha, Qatar, which ultimately paved the way for the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
