Multiple people have been killed after gunmen targeted civilians at a picnic spot in western Afghanistan, officials and a local doctor have confirmed.
There have been different reported death tolls from the attack in the Enjil district of Herat province on Friday. A Taliban interior ministry spokesperson reported seven fatalities, while a provincial official stated that four people had died.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
According to an interior ministry spokesperson, unidentified armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near the village of Deh Mehri, a popular recreational area on Fridays.
A doctor from a hospital in Herat informed the BBC that the victims were primarily Hazara Shia Muslims who had visited a local shrine for a picnic. He reported a higher casualty figure than officials, suggesting that 12 people had died and 12 were injured.
Shia Muslims, particularly from the Hazara ethnic group, are a minority in Afghanistan and have faced targeted violence in the past.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the provincial head of information and culture for the Taliban government in Herat, stated that the incident occurred around 15:00 local time (11:30 BST).
In a terrorist incident, armed men opened fire on residents who had gone to Deh Mehri village in Enjil district for recreation, he said, adding that four bodies and 15 wounded, including two women, were transported to the Herat regional hospital.
Security forces have arrested at least one suspect in connection with the shooting.
Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani noted in a post on X that preliminary information suggests seven people were killed and 13 others wounded, with some in critical condition.
This tragic event highlights the ongoing security concerns faced by vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.
