Former President Hamid Karzai condemned Wednesday’s bombing near the Cinema Pamir area in central Kabul, calling it a “terrorist act” in a statement on Thursday.
At least 11 people, including two young children, were injured in the explosion, according to the Emergency Hospital in Kabul. The blast occurred around 2 p.m. local time in a crowded section of the Pamir Cinema area, a bustling market in Kabul’s Police District 1 known for second-hand clothing stalls.
“We have received 11 wounded people at the hospital,” said Stefano Gennaro Smirnov, Emergency’s Deputy Country Director in Afghanistan. “Among them are a three-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy, two women, and six men, one of whom is in critical condition.”
The attack struck as the market was opening, drawing large crowds. “This is one of the most densely populated areas in Kabul,” Smirnov said. “Many of those affected by this attack are likely living in severe poverty.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, and the Taliban, who currently control the city, have not yet commented.
