Iran Condemns Bamiyan Terror Attack, Sympathizes with Afghans

In his Wednesday statement, Khatibzadeh also expressed sympathy with the government and nation of Afghanistan.

At least 14 people were killed and 45 wounded when two explosions ripped through a marketplace in the city of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan, according to officials.

Zabardast Safai, the police chief of the eponymous province said on Tuesday the explosives were hidden at the side of a road in Bamiyan, home to many members of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic minority.

The victims included 12 civilians, including children, and two traffic police officers.

Spokesman Tariq Arian said two magnetic bombs caused the blasts in the crowded market, calling it an “unforgivable crime”.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The Taliban, which has been waging a rebellion against the foreign-backed Kabul administration since being toppled in late 2001, denied involvement in the bombings.

Bamiyan, a famous tourist resort among local and international tourists, was long cherished as one of the relatively safest corners in Afghanistan due to its remote location in the central mountains.

The dominant local tribe, the Hazara, opposed the Taliban, who massacred thousands of Hazara during their rule.

The mainly Shiite minority has often been targeted by groups such as the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan and also by the Taliban in the 1990s.