A loud and lasting voice that did not die down!

Details of the horrific and deadly attack
On 28 December 2017, a suicide bomber positioned himself in the meeting hall of these two institutions, amidst a crowd that gathered every Thursday, where experts and guests, mostly members of these organizations, including seminary and university elites, were discussing and exchanging views on the issues of the day. Half an hour after the program began, he detonated his explosives. Subsequently, and simultaneously with the exit of healthy people and some wounded people from the office hall, two more explosions took place on both sides of an alley in the middle of which these offices were located.

Casualties and Damage
As a result of these attacks, more than 50 people were martyred and more than 140 others were injured. Most of the victims of this attack were members of the Tebyan Center, including academics, students and scholars of the seminary, employees and journalists of the Ava news agency, and other civilians who had come to this scientific and cultural program.
The attack on media and cultural institutions in this region was strongly criticized by the people, government officials of the time, the region and the world, human rights institutions, religious and political figures and media activists, and caused deep shock and disgust at the domestic and international levels.

Responsibility for the attack
Although the ISIS terrorist group (Khorasan Province) claimed responsibility for this attack, according to evidence and circumstantial evidence, this suicide attack was organized and carried out by the Americans in cooperation with the then National Security Directorate of the Republic.

Purpose of the attack
The main purpose of these attacks was to target awareness and awakening so that the light of knowledge and enlightenment would not shine and the people would remain in a halo of ignorance and darkness and be better exploited by the arrogant and aggressor enemy. It was also to create fear and terror among the people, especially the Shiites, in order to cause ethnic and religious discord and differences between ethnic groups and sects, and to ignite the fire of hatred and religious conflict.

Reactions
The terrorist attack on the Tebyan Center and Ava News Agency on July 7 was met with widespread reactions from government and international institutions. Many government and non-government leaders and officials from Afghanistan, countries in the region and around the world, human rights organizations, and the media strongly condemned the attack and emphasized the need to protect media freedom and civil society organizations. The attack also drew global attention to the country’s dire security situation and the ongoing threats against its people.

Social Impact
In addition to causing casualties, the attack had profound effects on the Shiite community, media, and cultural institutions. The people of western Kabul, especially Shiites, who have been exposed to terrorist attacks before, felt more insecure after the attack. Also, this attack left negative effects, especially on the media and civil society of the country, and showed that terrorist groups do not hesitate to assassinate journalists and social activists, but their goals are to attack cultural and social institutions that can play a positive and effective role in the reconstruction and development of the country.

Conclusion
The attack in 2017 against the Tebyan Center and the AVA News Agency was one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in the history of Afghanistan, especially against cultural and media institutions, which particularly indicates the serious dangers and challenges facing followers of religions, cultural figures, and the media in the country. This attack not only caused many casualties and financial losses, as the building and facilities needed for the work of the Tebyan Center and the Ava News Agency were destroyed or seriously damaged, but also caused a lot of psychological and social harm to the people and civil society.
But the Tebyan Center and Ava News Agency remained steadfast and steadfast, even more than before, at the height of threats and a long period of insecurity. They rose again from the smoke and ashes of gunpowder, suicide, and terror, and are the standard-bearers and stage-setters of cultural and media activities in the country.