Kabul residents accuse security agencies of failure

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Residents in the west of Kabul, where on Tuesday an attack on a hospital killed dozens–including many pregnant women and some children–said the increase in bombings is alarming, criticizing the security and intelligence agencies that have”failed” to prevent such attacks that have increased in recent years.

At least 24 people, mostly women, were killed in the attack on a 100-bed maternity hospital in the west of Kabul on Tuesday.

People living near the hospital in Dasht-e-Barchi area said their neighborhood has witnessed at least 10 terrorist attacks over the last year in which dozens of civilians were killed and many others were wounded.

According to the residents, the government reshaped the security of Wazir Akbar Khan in downtown Kabul after a deadly bombing near the German embassy in 2019, but the west of the city witnessed many deadly attacks while nothing has changed in the government’s plans for security in this part.

“Suicide attacks happen once a month or once a week but the government pays no attention to the west of Kabul,” said Eidi Mohammad, a resident of Dasht-e-Barchi.

“They are not thinking about how to prevent suicide attacks. Three people who had military uniforms entered the hospital yesterday,” said Ali Akbar, a Kabul resident.

An elderly woman, Habiba, who lost one of her relatives in the hospital attack, said she is ready to pick up a weapon and fight against “terrorists” if the government does not take action.

“They can give me a gun. I will stand outside my home and will search people. They attacked mosques, funerals,” said Habiba.

“If so, we will have to ensure our security on our own,” said Bashir Basharat, a resident in the west of Kabul. Back in March, a gathering of Afghan politicians was attacked from a nearby building in the west of Kabul, killing 32 and wounding more than a dozen others.

Former president Hamid Karzai and the head of the High Peace Council, Mohammad KarimKhalili, were also there. A day after the attack, the politicians asked for measures to boost security in the west of Kabul and an investigation into the incident. But residents said they have not seen any change.

“Serious threats have increased in the west of Kabul in recent years. Many measures have been taken,” said the acting minister of interior affairs, Gen. MassoudAndarabi, to TOLOnews.(TOLOnews)