Multiple deaths reported as gunmen open fire on Shia families at Herat picnic site in Afghanistan

Afghanistan shooting: Several people from the Hazara Shia community were killed after gunmen opened fire at a picnic site in Herat, Afghanistan. One suspect was detained.

Several people were killed when gunmen opened fire on civilians at a picnic site in western Afghanistan on Friday, reported BBC. However, the exact number of deaths in the attack, which occurred in the Enjil district of Herat province, could not be confirmed with various reports quoting officials and witnesses and pegging the toll between 4 and 12.

Abdul Mateen Qani,  spokesperson for the Taliban’s interior ministry, told Tolo News that seven deaths had occurred, while a provincial official put the toll at four, reported BBC.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility.

According to the interior ministry, “unidentified armed men” on motorcycles carried out the shooting near Deh Mehri village, a location that typically sees large gatherings on Fridays.

A doctor at a hospital in Herat told the BBC that those targeted were members of the Hazara Shia community. He said the group had travelled to a nearby shrine for a picnic. The doctor reported a significantly higher toll, stating that 12 people were killed and another 12 injured.

Shia Muslims, most of whom belong to the Hazara ethnic group, form a minority in Afghanistan and have faced repeated attacks in the past.

Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban administration’s head of information and culture in Herat, said the shooting occurred around 3 PM (local time). He described it as a “terrorist incident” in which attackers fired on people gathered for recreation.

Muttaqi said four bodies and 15 injured individuals, including two women, were taken to a regional hospital in Herat. He added that security forces had detained a suspect.

Interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani, writing on X, said preliminary reports indicated seven fatalities and 13 injuries, with several victims in critical condition.

Officials noted that Deh Mehri is a predominantly Shia village, home to a shrine that draws visitors daily for prayer and leisure.

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Several people were killed when gunmen opened fire on civilians at a picnic site in western Afghanistan on Friday, reported BBC. However, the exact number of deaths in the attack, which occurred in the Enjil district of Herat province, could not be confirmed with various reports quoting officials and witnesses and pegging the toll between 4 and 12.

Abdul Mateen Qani,  spokesperson for the Taliban’s interior ministry, told Tolo News that seven deaths had occurred, while a provincial official put the toll at four, reported BBC.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility.

According to the interior ministry, “unidentified armed men” on motorcycles carried out the shooting near Deh Mehri village, a location that typically sees large gatherings on Fridays.

A doctor at a hospital in Herat told the BBC that those targeted were members of the Hazara Shia community. He said the group had travelled to a nearby shrine for a picnic. The doctor reported a significantly higher toll, stating that 12 people were killed and another 12 injured.

Shia Muslims, most of whom belong to the Hazara ethnic group, form a minority in Afghanistan and have faced repeated attacks in the past.

Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban administration’s head of information and culture in Herat, said the shooting occurred around 3 PM (local time). He described it as a “terrorist incident” in which attackers fired on people gathered for recreation.

Muttaqi said four bodies and 15 injured individuals, including two women, were taken to a regional hospital in Herat. He added that security forces had detained a suspect.

Interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani, writing on X, said preliminary reports indicated seven fatalities and 13 injuries, with several victims in critical condition.

Officials noted that Deh Mehri is a predominantly Shia village, home to a shrine that draws visitors daily for prayer and leisure.