Spanish tourists among four killed in Afghanistan shooting
By Masoud Popalzai and Al Goodman, CNN
(CNN) — Four people were killed, including three Spanish citizens, in a shooting in central Afghanistan on Friday, according to Spanish and Afghan authorities.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry spokesperson Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani said the three Europeans and one Afghan citizen were killed in Bamyan city.
The shooting occurred while the tourists were shopping at an open-air market in Bamyan, a Spanish diplomatic source said Saturday.
“The information the Spanish government has received so far is that a group of six Spaniards were traveling in the region of Bamyan and they were attacked on Friday by at least one armed man who opened fire,” the source said.
Four foreign nationals and three Afghans were also injured in the attack when gunmen opened fire, Reuters reported, citing Qani, adding that four people have been arrested.
A fourth Spanish citizen is among the wounded and has been transferred to a hospital in Kabul, where they are listed as being in serious condition following surgery.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares spoke with the two Spanish citizens in the group who were unharmed by phone on Saturday, according to the diplomatic source.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the Spanish shooting victims as tourists, in a post on X.
“Overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan. I am closely following the situation. The Emergency Consular Unit of the Spanish Foreign Ministry is working to offer all necessary assistance. I want to convey all my sympathy to their family and friends,” the prime minister posted.
Prosecutors from Spain’s National Court in Madrid, which handles cases of terrorism, have opened an investigation into the shooting in Afghanistan for potential links to terrorism, the prosecution service said in a statement on Saturday.
The statement added that the Spanish fatalities were a man and two women from northeastern Spain – one from Barcelona, another from Girona and the third from Figueres.
Qani also expressed condolences for the deaths, saying, “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns this crime, expresses its deep feelings to the families of the victims and assures that all the criminals will be found and punished.”
Asked to comment on reports that an Australian national is among those injured, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Saturday that it was “providing consular assistance” to one of its citizens in Afghanistan following the deadly attack.
The-CNN-Wire
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