Deadly bomb blast tears through mosque near Afghan Interior Ministry
CBSDec 24, 2022
The Facts
On Wednesday, Imdadullah Mohajir, spokesman for Afghanistan's northern province of Samangan, stated that several students are among at least 15 people killed, while some other 20 were wounded, in a bomb blast at a religious school in the provincial capital Aybak.
A source in Samangan told BBC News that the majority of those killed are believed to be children aged nine to 15, with a doctor at the local hospital adding that some patients with critical injuries were transferred to hospitals in Mazar-i-Sharif for better treatment.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Since the Taliban took over, Afghanistan has increasingly descended into chaos. The looming humanitarian catastrophe and economic collapse provide the perfect breeding ground for terrorist groups, not only posing a growing threat to innocent Afghans but also targeting the international community. To prevent further destabilization, a UN peacekeeping force is required to promote a peace process among all Afghans.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's shortsighted only to blame the Taliban for escalating violence when the country was already descending into anarchy, and the Islamic State was on the rise before the US withdrawal. This was also fostered because Washington never developed a coherent political and economic strategy for Afghanistan. With international aid funds now being cut and the US freezing billions in Afghan assets, the situation will only worsen due to Western failures.
