Russian Diplomatic Vehicle Hit By IED In Afghanistan’s Kabul

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On December 1^st, a vehicle belonging to the Russian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan has been hit by the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Kabul, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.

There were no casualties.

The explosion took place near the Russian Embassy in the Afghan capital. The car did not suffer a direct hit, with its passengers suffering only minor concussions as a result.

“We demand that the Afghan authorities conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the personnel of the Russian diplomatic buildings in Afghanistan. The Russian Embassy in Kabul is introducing additional security measures to defend the personnel and the facilities of the diplomatic mission”, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

The ministry also noted that the car may not have been the target of the IED, and according to preliminary investigations was aimed to hit an Afghan Security Force military pickup that was driving in front of the Russian Embassy’s vehicle.

There is, however, a possibility that the Russian diplomatic staff was targeted.

Attacks such as these are rare regarding any Russian diplomats in Afghanistan, it is much more frequent that attacks take place against Afghan Security Forces, or Taliban. Prior to the US-Taliban deal, US forces were also being frequently targeted.

Currently, the only faction that targets all parties indiscriminately are ISIS militants cells that carry out attacks in various regions.

The situation remains tense in Afghanistan even after the US and the Taliban signed a truce earlier in 2020. Under the conditions of the agreement, the Taliban has vowed to stop attacks on American forces in the country, prevent it from turning into a safe haven for terrorist organizations, and to engage in dialogue with the government in Kabul. In return, the US promised to withdraw its forces from the country after 19 years of war.

Earlier, in November, Washington announced a partial withdrawal of its forces from the country, even though occasional attacks continue to take place, some of them purportedly carried out by the Taliban itself. In addition, the group and the Afghan government have still not engaged in the expected dialogue to reach a political solution to the conflict, which has been ravaging the country for decades.

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