Multiple people have been killed after gunmen targeted civilians at a picnic spot in western Afghanistan, officials and a local doctor have said. There have been different reported death tolls from the attack in the Enjil district of Herat province on Friday. A Taliban interior ministry spokesperson stated that seven people were killed, while a provincial official reported four deaths. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Unidentified armed men, riding motorcycles, opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, as the recreational area is usually crowded on Fridays.
A doctor from a hospital in Herat province indicated that the victims were Hazara Shia Muslims who had gone to a local shrine for a picnic. He reported a higher casualty figure, stating that twelve people had been killed and another twelve injured. The Shia Muslims, primarily from the Hazara ethnic group, are a minority in Afghanistan and have been targeted in the past.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, noted that the incident occurred around 15:00 local time (11:30 BST). He described the event as a terrorist attack, stating that armed men opened fire on residents who were seeking recreation in the Deh Mehri village.
"Four bodies, as well as 15 wounded individuals, including two women, have been taken to the Herat regional hospital," Muttaqi informed. A suspect has already been arrested by security forces in connection with the attack.
On social media, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani reported that preliminary information suggested seven fatalities and thirteen injuries, several of whom are in critical condition. The village targeted in this attack is predominantly Shiite and is home to a shrine frequently visited by the community.
Unidentified armed men, riding motorcycles, opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, as the recreational area is usually crowded on Fridays.
A doctor from a hospital in Herat province indicated that the victims were Hazara Shia Muslims who had gone to a local shrine for a picnic. He reported a higher casualty figure, stating that twelve people had been killed and another twelve injured. The Shia Muslims, primarily from the Hazara ethnic group, are a minority in Afghanistan and have been targeted in the past.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, noted that the incident occurred around 15:00 local time (11:30 BST). He described the event as a terrorist attack, stating that armed men opened fire on residents who were seeking recreation in the Deh Mehri village.
"Four bodies, as well as 15 wounded individuals, including two women, have been taken to the Herat regional hospital," Muttaqi informed. A suspect has already been arrested by security forces in connection with the attack.
On social media, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani reported that preliminary information suggested seven fatalities and thirteen injuries, several of whom are in critical condition. The village targeted in this attack is predominantly Shiite and is home to a shrine frequently visited by the community.
