Sunday marks the fourth anniversary of two deadly explosions in the city of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, which killed at least 20 people and wounded around 60 others.
On November 24, 2020, at approximately 4:40 p.m., two bombs detonated near a hotel in the city’s central market.
The blasts claimed the lives of women and children among the victims. Local authorities reported that one explosive device was hidden in a roadside ditch, while the other was concealed in a wheelbarrow.
Responsibility for the attack
Four years after the attack, no individual or group has claimed responsibility, and the Taliban at the time also denied involvement.
Tariq Arian, the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior in the previous government, accused the Taliban of orchestrating the bombings. Local officials in Bamiyan stated that six individuals were arrested in connection with the attacks, some of whom confessed during initial investigations.
Sayed Anwar Rahmati, the then-governor of Bamiyan, alleged that the Haqqani Network, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani—now the Taliban’s interior minister—was behind the bombings.
Calls for justice
In the days following the attack, civil society activists and Bamiyan residents erected protest tents, demanding accountability and clarity regarding how such an attack occurred in their city.
Ismail Zaki, one of the protest organizers, told local media that the goal of the demonstrations was to compel both the local and central governments to provide transparent and satisfactory answers about the incident. The protest lasted 13 days before coming to an end.
National reactions
At the time, Afghanistan’s presidential palace condemned the attack in a statement, expressing condolences to the victims and their families. “The Taliban and other terrorist groups have intensified violence across the country, targeting civilians and damaging public infrastructure,” the statement read.
Sarwar Danish, then the country’s second vice president, called the attack a failed attempt by “enemies and terrorist groups” to expand the geography of violence and fear in Afghanistan. He urged local authorities and security agencies to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Former President Hamid Karzai also condemned the bombings, describing them as a “conspiracy against the peace and stability” of the Afghan people.
Unanswered questions
Despite initial arrests and widespread condemnation, the attack’s perpetrators remain unidentified, and no group has claimed responsibility. For many in Bamiyan, the incident remains a painful and unresolved chapter, highlighting the enduring challenges of accountability and justice in Afghanistan.
