At least 42 children injured in explosion near education centre in Kabul․

At least 42 children were injured in an explosion near an education centre in Kabul, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said, calling for an investigation into the incident. The blast occurred on Monday in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood. Reuters reports.

At least 35 of the injured were taken to a Kabul hospital with shrapnel wounds. According to the medical facility, all of the injured were between the ages of 10 and 14. At least three children required surgery.

Dasht-e-Barchi is a Kabul neighbourhood predominantly inhabited by members of the Shi’ite community. The area has repeatedly been targeted by Sunni Islamist militant groups, including Islamic State, in the past.

The European Union’s mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA ) said on X that it was deeply concerned by the explosion near Sham-e-Hedayat School in Dasht-e-Barchi, which injured dozens of students.

“Schools must be safe; deliberate attacks on children & education centers are unacceptable,” the EU mission said.