On Sunday, the Daesh group claimed responsibility for an attack that killed three Spaniards and three Afghans in Afghanistan. The incident occurred on Friday in the mountainous city of Bamiyan, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) west of Kabul. 

According to a statement on Daesh's Telegram channels, fighters targeted "Christian tourists and their Shiite companions with machine guns" while the group was shopping in a local market. The attack was aimed at a bus carrying tourists from coalition countries, referring to the US-led coalition against Daesh in the Middle East. 

The terrorists emphasized that the assault was in line with directives to target nationals of coalition countries wherever they may be. Following the attack, Taliban officials reported the arrest of seven suspects.

Although bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan have significantly decreased since the Taliban seized power, armed groups like Daesh continue to pose threats. Daesh has repeatedly attacked the Shiite Hazara community, whom they view as heretics. Hazaras form the majority population in Bamiyan, Afghanistan’s top tourist destination.

This attack is the first deadly assault on foreign tourists since the Taliban regained control in 2021. Despite security improvements attracting more visitors, with over 5,000 foreign tourists in 2023, Western nations still advise against travel to Afghanistan due to high risks.

The tour group attacked on Friday included 13 travelers from various countries, including six Spaniards. The Spanish government confirmed that the three Spaniards killed were from Catalonia, comprising a mother and daughter and a 63-year-old engineer. An 82-year-old Spanish retiree was seriously injured and is currently being treated at a Kabul hospital run by the Italian NGO Emergency.

Spanish diplomats are working to repatriate the bodies and transfer the wounded in coordination with a European Union delegation in Kabul. The Spanish embassy in Kabul was evacuated in 2021 after the Taliban takeover.