At Least 3 Killed, 7 Injured in Deadly Blast at Afghanistan Hotel

Kabul: An explosion at a popular hotel in Afghanistan’s Khost province killed at least three people and injured seven others, according to local authorities. The incident took place at the Green Village Hotel, which is frequented by Afghan citizens and refugees from Pakistan’s former militant hub, North Waziristan.

Police spokesperson Mustaghfir Gurbaz confirmed the ongoing investigation into the cause and responsible parties behind the blast.

While no immediate claim of responsibility has been made, Afghanistan’s Taliban government has previously attributed similar attacks to the regional Islamic State affiliate, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP). The hotel’s Pakistani refugee occupants were not further disclosed by Gurbaz, although Pakistani officials have previously noted the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members in Khost and other Afghan locations.

Although the TTP is a separate entity, it maintains a close alliance with the Afghan Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew after two decades of conflict. Pakistani authorities believe that numerous TTP leaders and fighters have sought refuge in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s rise to power, a situation that has bolstered the Pakistani Taliban’s confidence.