Kabul Bombings: What Kind of Future is Afghanistan Headed Towards?

The Big Story Podcast on Kabul Bombing and the Future of Afghanistan. Image used for representation only.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

The twin suicide attacks in Kabul in the early hours of Friday, 27 August, has been marked as the deadliest day for US troops in Afghanistan in more than a decade. The bombings claimed the lives of at least 95 Afghan civilians, 13 US troops and injured dozens more.

The first attack was reported at Abbey Gate, which is one of the entrances to the Kabul airport and the other at Baron Hotel, which has served as a bunker for evacuees, diplomats and civilians before they head to the airport for boarding the evacuation flights.

The attack was claimed by the ISIL offshoot in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K which reportedly singled out supporters and affiliates of the US Army. The group has been blamed for some of the worst attacks in the country since its formation in 2015.

However, ISIS-K is not only a threat to the population of Afghanistan but also to the Taliban, who they have reportedly accused of abandoning principles of Jihad and favouring a peace settlement.

These bombings in Kabul now pose a series of pressing questions on future of Afghanistan and its repercussions on the Biden administration.

What precedent do the recent attacks set for Biden? How will the Taliban vs ISIS-K rivalry play out with the US out of the picture, and more importantly , what kind of future is Afghanistan headed towards?

To answer these questions, for today’s episode, we spoke with Ajay Sahni, the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Management and South Asia Terrorism Portal.