6 March 2020 Kabul shooting

At a glance

Dates: From 2020-03-06.

Place: Kabul, Afghanistan.

Type: attempted murder.

Deaths reported: 32.

What came beforeAI-assisted

Abdul Ali Mazari, a prominent Afghan Shia leader, was assassinated by the Taliban in 1995. His death became a significant date of remembrance in Afghanistan's Shia community.

The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of ISIS, had carried out multiple attacks in Kabul in preceding years, targeting both military and civilian gatherings.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

A public ceremony was organized in Kabul on March 6, 2020, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Mazari's assassination. The event drew prominent Afghan political figures and community members to a gathering space.

Two gunmen positioned themselves in a building under construction overlooking the ceremony venue and opened fire on the assembled crowd without warning.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

The two gunmen carried out the attack and were killed by Afghan security forces later that day. The Islamic State Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah attended the ceremony and survived the attack unharmed. The victims included civilians and attendees at the commemorative gathering.

TimelineAI-assisted

March 6, 2020: Gunmen opened fire on the ceremony in Kabul, killing 32 people and wounding 82 others. The two attackers were killed by security forces the same day.

What happened

On 6 March 2020, a mass shooting occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan. Two gunmen fired from a building under construction, killing 32 people and injuring another 82. The terrorist attack happened during a ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the assassination by the Taliban of Afghan Shia leader Abdul Ali Mazari. The ceremony was attended by Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah, who escaped unharmed. The two gunmen were killed later the same day.