At least 16 people were killed in an explosion at a Koranic school in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday, according to a doctor. 24 other people were injured, said the doctor who works at the hospital in Aybak, the capital of Samangan province. All of the victims were "children and ordinary people," the doctor said. A representative of the regional authority confirmed the explosion, but initially did not provide any information on the number of victims.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, attacks on civilians have increased in Afghanistan. The jihadist militia Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for most of them.

At least 54 people were killed in a suicide attack on the women's section of an education center in Kabul in late September. At least four people died in an explosion in a mosque in Kabul on October 5.