A roadside bomb killed four people in northern Afghanistan on Saturday and wounded about a dozen others.
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian confirmed that four staff members from Al-Biruni University were killed in the explosion and that 11 others were injured.
Arian did not say who was responsible for the blast, and no group immediately claimed responsibility.
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Explosions from roadside bombs and other devices have targeted both Afghan troops as well as judges and other civil society figures in recent months in the country amid heightened fighting with the Taliban and other groups.
A Taliban spokesperson said in a statement that the group was not involved in the attack and called it a “crime.”
The increase in violence has raised concerns that Afghanistan could regress following a withdrawal of U.S. troops later this year. The Taliban has also warned neighboring countries not to host the U.S. military as the Pentagon mulls leaving troops elsewhere in the region.
“Foreign forces are the root cause of insecurity and war in the region and the greatest tragedy is that everyone has witnessed in the last twenty years, especially our afflicted people who have suffered and continue to suffer more than anyone else. We urge neighboring countries not to allow and grant anyone such a concession,” the Taliban said in a statement.
“As we have repeatedly assured others that our soil will not be used against the security of others, we are similarly urging others not to use their soil and airspace against our country. If such a step is taken, then the responsibility for all the misfortunes and difficulties lies upon those who commit such mistakes,” it added.
Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinRoadside bomb kills four university staff riding bus in Afghanistan Pentagon pitches 5B budget with cuts to older weapons Biden tells troops they are ‘the backbone’ of America MORE said Thursday that the effort to remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan was running “slightly ahead of schedule.”
“I can report to you today that the retrograde is proceeding on pace, indeed slightly ahead of it,” Austin told a House Appropriations subcommittee this week.
President BidenJoe BidenWhat you need to know about the international tax talks 9 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2022 Is Biden trying to avoid congressional review of Russia sanctions? MORE has ordered all troops removed from the region by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that sparked the war in Afghanistan.
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