A group of tourists and their companions were shot while walking in a market in central Afghanistan.
The Taliban government said that three Afghans and three Spanish tourists were killed in Bamyan province in central Afghanistan, while raising the death toll in the attack in a market.
The government said on Saturday that the bodies of the three Afghans and three Spanish tourists had been transported to the capital, Kabul.
The group came under fire while walking through a market in the mountain city of Bamyan, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) from Kabul, on Friday.
He added: “All the bodies were transported to Kabul and are now in the forensic department, and the wounded are also in Kabul.” Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Matin Qani told AFP that among the dead and wounded were women.
Of the eight wounded, including four foreigners, only one elderly foreign woman is in a very precarious position.
Hospital sources in Bamyan reported that the wounded were from Norway, Australia, Lithuania and Spain.
Qaani said the dead included two Afghan civilians and a Taliban member.
He added: “They were walking around the market when they were attacked.”
Seven suspects were arrested and one of them was injured, according to Qaani, who said the investigation was continuing.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Spanish government announced on Friday that three of the dead were Spanish tourists, and added that at least another Spanish citizen was injured.
“I am overwhelmed by the news of the killing of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X.
The bodies will likely be returned to Spain on Sunday, according to Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez, who spoke on Spanish public television TVE.
He added that one of the wounded had already undergone surgery in Kabul.
Afghanistan’s faltering tourism sector saw the number of foreign tourists rise by 120 percent year-on-year in 2023, reaching nearly 5,200, according to official figures.
Bamyan is the number one tourist destination in Afghanistan, and is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the remains of two giant Buddha statues that were blown up by the Taliban during their previous rule of Afghanistan in 2001.
Since taking control of the country again in 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces, the Taliban have promised to restore security and encourage a small but growing number of tourists.
Friday’s attack was the deadliest since the Taliban seized power three years ago.
The Spanish embassy was evacuated in 2021, along with other Western missions, after the Taliban regained control of Kabul.
“Infuriatingly humble analyst. Bacon maven. Proud food specialist. Certified reader. Avid writer. Zombie advocate. Incurable problem solver.”