The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack against a group of tourists in Bamiyan

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Afghanistan on Sunday, May 19, in which three Spanish tourists and three Afghan nationals died on Friday.

In a press release broadcast on its Telegram channels, the jihadist group asserted that “Militants fire machine guns on Christian tourists and their Shiite companions” Friday in the mountain city of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan.

The victims were killed in a Friday afternoon shooting at a bazaar in the tourist town, 180 kilometers from Kabul.

A targeted attack has been carried out “Bus of Tourists from Allied Countries”The terrorist group said it was referring to the US-led international coalition to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. This action “Conforms to Administrative Guidelines” ISIS “to target nationals of allied countries wherever they may be”Added the team.

Spain “will ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished”

The deadly attack on foreign tourists comes after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 in Afghanistan, where foreign diplomatic missions are rare. Taliban officials announced on Saturday that they had arrested seven suspects.

Madrid said on Sunday that the three Spaniards killed were Catalans, a mother and her daughter and a 63-year-old pensioner. An 82-year-old Spanish woman was seriously injured and taken to an Italian NGO-run hospital in Kabul. “His injuries are progressing favorably, but his prognosis is uncertain.”The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Minister Jose Manuel Albarez, “Strongly condemn” X In a message published on Sunday, the attack said he would work “We must ensure that these crimes go unpunished.”. “Two uninjured Spaniards are now out of Afghanistan. The repatriation of victims in the rest of Spain is still ongoing »He continued.

More than 5,000 foreign tourists by 2023

Although the security situation in Afghanistan may have improved since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, a limited number of armed groups, including IS, remain a threat. Hazaras, the majority Shiite community in Bamiyan province, have been particularly targeted. The Islamic State organization considers them heretics.

The number of tourists in Afghanistan under Taliban rule is increasing and Bamiyan region is a favorite destination for these travelers. According to figures from the Taliban government, more than 5,000 foreigners are expected to visit the country by 2023, which still supports embryonic growth.

However, many Western countries have called on their nationals not to travel to Afghanistan because of the risks of attacks and smuggling.