TRIPwire, 05 January 2018, 0800

On 4 January 2018, a suicide bomber detonated a person-borne improvised explosive device (PBIED) during a protest in Kabul. On 3 January 2018, the Afghan National Police (ANP) conducted raids on shops suspected of selling illicit goods, including alcohol and hashish, in the Banayee neighborhood of Kabul. On 4 January 2018, shopkeepers began protesting the raids after ANP officers allegedly killed one shopkeeper.  According to an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman, the attack occurred after the protests began and the suicide bomber “emerged from a crowd of protesters and targeted police,” who were providing security for the demonstration. Reports of casualties vary, with estimates ranging from 11 to 20 killed and 20 to 25 wounded. According to a security source, officials expect these numbers to change as the investigation continues. Hours after the attack, the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) claimed responsibility for it via its Amaq propaganda website. This is the latest in a string of attacks in Kabul to be claimed by ISIS. According to media reports, many Afghan social media users doubted ISIS claims because of the spontaneity of the protests and rumors that shops in Banayee sell suicide vests.

TRIPwire, 31 March 2020

On 30 March 2020, Afghan security forces seized a truck packed with 4,000 kg [8,818 lb] of ammonium nitrate (AN) in western Herat Province in Kang Village. According to the Ministry of Interior Affairs, terrorist groups, in particular the Taliban, use AN to make IEDs for roadside devices and suicide attacks. No militant groups have yet commented on the seizure.

TRIPwire, 31 July 2019

On 31 July 2019, a roadside IED detonated in Farah Province as a passenger bus drove by on the major Kandahar-Herat highway. A government spokesperson confirmed 34 civilians died and 17 sustained injuries. Police have not released any details about the device. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities have blamed the Taliban and believe the group intended to target security forces. A Taliban spokesperson denied the group was involved in the incident.

Afghanistan:  Police Intercept Explosive-Laden Truck

TRIPwire, 16 October 2017, 0930
On 14 Oct 2017 at approximately 2200 hours local time, police in Kabul stopped a truck, which was carrying 30 20-litre containers of ammonium nitrate and two 100-kilogram munitions. The explosives were hidden under boxes of tomatoes. The vehicle’s Helmand province license plate prompted police to investigate. The containers were connected by yellow electrical cables, but lacked a triggering mechanism. Police stopped the driver of the vehicle after he failed to halt . The driver  attempted to flee, prompting police to open fire and wounding him. Security in Kabul ramped up following a 31 May Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) attack in the city’s diplomatic quarter that killed 150 and injured over 400.