On Friday, September 30th, 2022, a suicide bomber claimed the lives of 25 or more people in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul. The bombing took place at Kaaj Higher Educational Center, where many students were preparing for upcoming practice exams. These educational centers helped students fresh out of high school with practice exams and other sports activities. The attack occurred approximately an hour into the studying sessions of many students. The area of the attack happened in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood of western Kabul, an area mostly dominated by Shiite Muslims, also home to the Hazara community, both of which are frequent targets of Afghanistan’s most deadly attacks.

Many people were injured and killed, but the majority of victims killed were young women. All that were injured were rushed to hospitals, and a search for those who were not found began. As the news spread families rushed to the hospitals where ambulances arrived with the victims. Lists of those confirmed dead and wounded were posted on the walls of the hospital. Later though Taliban members forced the families of the victims to leave the area of one hospital, as they feared another attack may happen. 

Kabul police officials, have reprimanded a suspect that was believed to be linked to the suicide bombing and many other attacks. Later though, they got nothing from the suspect, and no other organization claimed responsibility for planning the attacks. When the Taliban finally allowed journalists into the educational center, many were shocked at the sight that awaited them. The ceiling of the rooms and hallways where students gathered had completely collapsed, while the doors and windows had been blown out by the blast. Multiple workers who were hired were cleaning the area, where remains of the injured covered the floors and walls when the reporters arrived. Many of the students and faculty members reported hearing gunshots before the explosion happened, and many more reported being too afraid to help those that were injured or close to death. The final death toll for this incident left many devastated. 

When the Taliban finally returned to power in 2021, they ended the two-decade war, and a great reduction in violence was seen. Within the time that the Taliban has reclaimed power, they have banned many girls beyond the 6th-grade level, from attending schools. They have allowed, though female students from the past previous years to go to universities and finish their education. The topic of schools has been very sensitive since the Taliban reclaimed power, especially for families with females. 

Before the Taliban took power many attacks happened that were directed at communities like the Shiite Muslim, and the Hazara community. Many of these attacks were on educational centers, or targeted children and women, devastating communities, and families. When the Taliban came back into power, the security for these groups of people were still non-existent. Many attacks continued to happen even after the power was shifted. Sadly though the security that many citizens hoped for slowly started to deteriorate in the past few months as well, leaving many open.