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Kabul suicide bomber attacks French school during show | Kabul suicide bomber attacks French school during show |
(35 minutes later) | |
French officials say several people have been killed by a suicide bomber who attacked a French-run school in the Afghan capital Kabul during a show. | |
At least 15 people were injured in the attack on the Istiqlal school, home to the French Cultural Centre. | |
A witness told the BBC the attacker detonated the bomb among the audience. | |
Earlier, at least six Afghan soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber on the outskirts of Kabul - the latest in a string of attacks by the Taliban. | |
"I firmly condemn this terrorist act which caused the death of several people and left many injured. There were no French victims," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. | |
He described the attack as a "barbaric act" and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. | |
Mr Fabius said crisis units had been set up in Kabul and France to investigate the incident. | |
Earlier, Afghan officials would only confirm that one person had been killed, and reports said the person was foreign. | |
Aftermath | Aftermath |
Kabul's new police chief, Abdul Rahman Rahimi, told reporters that the suicide bomber was a teenager aged about 16. | Kabul's new police chief, Abdul Rahman Rahimi, told reporters that the suicide bomber was a teenager aged about 16. |
A witness who said he was no more than 5m (49ft) from the explosion, said the blast came about 20 minutes into the performance of a production called Heart Beat, about freedom and democracy and against violence. | A witness who said he was no more than 5m (49ft) from the explosion, said the blast came about 20 minutes into the performance of a production called Heart Beat, about freedom and democracy and against violence. |
About 500 people were in the auditorium at the time and security was very tight, he added. | About 500 people were in the auditorium at the time and security was very tight, he added. |
Another witness, Samira Sadat, told the BBC that she was watching the show when the attack took place. | |
She said the blast initially seemed like part of the performance. As she was leaving the building, she said she passed a man with severe facial injuries on the ground. | |
Footage on Afghan television showed the aftermath of the explosion with injured people in the street outside. | Footage on Afghan television showed the aftermath of the explosion with injured people in the street outside. |
So far no group has said it carried out the attack on the school - one of the most well known in Afghanistan. | |
However, the Taliban have recently stepped up attacks as most foreign combat troops prepare to leave the country later this month. | |
The school was inaugurated in 1974 with more than 2,000 students and is regarded as one of the best in the country. | The school was inaugurated in 1974 with more than 2,000 students and is regarded as one of the best in the country. |
It is in the heart of Kabul, close to the presidential palace and the foreign ministry. | It is in the heart of Kabul, close to the presidential palace and the foreign ministry. |
The attached French Cultural Centre was forced to close between 1983 and 2002 when Afghanistan was engulfed by conflict, but it reopened in 2003 and was revamped in 2010. | |
Last month, Kabul's police chief resigned following a surge in attacks by Afghan militants on foreigners in the city. | Last month, Kabul's police chief resigned following a surge in attacks by Afghan militants on foreigners in the city. |
President Ashraf Ghani, who took power in September, has vowed to bring peace after decades of conflict. | President Ashraf Ghani, who took power in September, has vowed to bring peace after decades of conflict. |