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 said seven people were killed, while a provincial official reported four had died. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Unidentified armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, according to an interior ministry spokesperson. The recreational area is usually crowded on Fridays.
A doctor from a hospital in Herat province told the BBC the victims were Hazara Shia Muslims who had gone to a local shrine for a picnic. He provided a higher casualty figure than officials, stating 12 people had been killed and 12 injured.
The Hazara ethnic group, primarily Shia Muslims, has historically faced persecution in Afghanistan.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, confirmed that the incident happened around 3:00 PM local time.
In his statement, he described the attack as a terrorist incident where armed men targeted local residents enjoying recreation time. He reported four fatalities, along with 15 wounded individuals, including two women, taken to the Herat regional hospital.
A suspect has since been arrested by security forces, and preliminary information from the interior ministry indicates seven dead and 13 wounded, with some in critical condition. The attack underscored the vulnerability of predominantly Shiite villages and the ongoing threats they face in Afghanistan.
There have been different reported death tolls from the attack in the Enjil district of Herat province on Friday. A Taliban interior ministry spokesperson said seven people were killed, while a provincial official reported four had died. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Unidentified armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, according to an interior ministry spokesperson. The recreational area is usually crowded on Fridays.
A doctor from a hospital in Herat province told the BBC the victims were Hazara Shia Muslims who had gone to a local shrine for a picnic. He provided a higher casualty figure than officials, stating 12 people had been killed and 12 injured.
The Hazara ethnic group, primarily Shia Muslims, has historically faced persecution in Afghanistan.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, confirmed that the incident happened around 3:00 PM local time.
In his statement, he described the attack as a terrorist incident where armed men targeted local residents enjoying recreation time. He reported four fatalities, along with 15 wounded individuals, including two women, taken to the Herat regional hospital.
A suspect has since been arrested by security forces, and preliminary information from the interior ministry indicates seven dead and 13 wounded, with some in critical condition. The attack underscored the vulnerability of predominantly Shiite villages and the ongoing threats they face in Afghanistan.
