The explosion near the private school "Sham Hedayat" in western Kabul, which, according to initial reports, injured dozens of students and citizens, has once again highlighted concerns about the security of educational centers; an incident that, in addition to questions about the perpetrators and its motive, poses a more important question for the authorities: What preventive measures should be taken to make the school one of the safest living environments for children again?
Publish dateTuesday 18 August 2026 - 15:00
Story Code : 363390
From a School to a Question; Where is the Security of Students?
Seyed Hassan Hosseini
On Monday evening, Aug 17, an explosion occurred near the private school "Sham Hedayat" in Mahdiya town, related to the 18th security district in western Kabul.
Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Kabul Police Command, confirmed the incident and announced that the explosion was caused by a hand grenade and that security forces have begun their investigations to clarify how it happened. According to local sources, the grenade was thrown from the alley in front of the school into the courtyard; the incident occurred when the students were dismissed from classes.
According to a security source reported by the media, the number of injured in the incident was announced as 52. Also, based on a list received by this newspaper, Idlatul Raaz reported that 17 people were transferred to the private "Imam Zaman" hospital, including 12 girls and five boys, aged 9 to 14. A number of the injured were also transferred to Alemi Hospital.
However, as of the time of writing, the final and official number of injured has not been announced by the responsible authorities, and further details about the nature of the grenade, the possible perpetrators and the purpose of the incident have not been published. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Afghan Shia Ulema Council has strongly condemned the incident in a statement and has called on the Islamic Emirate to prioritize the security of schools, students and educational centers. The council also emphasized a comprehensive investigation of the incident, identifying the perpetrators, and adopting effective measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Regardless of the perpetrators and their motives, the recent incident raises a more important question for society: Is the security of educational centers taken seriously enough before the incident?
School; a place where fear should have no meaning
School should be one of the safest places in a society. Students do not go to school for war and violence; they go there to learn, build a future, and pave the way for their lives.
Therefore, any violent incident in an educational center goes beyond damage to a building or a number of people. Such incidents can undermine the sense of security of students and families and raise concerns about children's travel to educational centers.
This issue becomes even more important when children are involved. Students, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or religion, should be able to go to school and return home without fear of security threats.
For this reason, the Shia Ulema Council’s emphasis on prioritizing the security of educational institutions is not just a demand related to a specific group or region; it is a human and social issue that all families across the country can relate to.
West Kabul: A History That Cannot Be Ignored
West Kabul, especially Dasht-e-Barchi and its surrounding areas, has witnessed several bloody incidents against civilians and public facilities in recent years. The attack on Sayyid al-Shuhada School in 1400, in which a large number of students died or were injured, is one of the most bitter examples of these incidents.
Reviewing such a history does not mean that every new incident is necessarily a continuation of the same pattern; but it does indicate that some areas of the capital require a more careful security assessment and preventive measures commensurate with the level of threat.
When a region has a history of multiple security incidents, it is natural to ask about the security of its schools: Are educational centers regularly assessed for security vulnerabilities? Are student entry and exit routes monitored? Is there coordination between school administration and security agencies to identify potential threats?
These questions do not necessarily indicate a specific shortcoming on the part of an agency; rather, they are part of a preventive approach that should be reviewed after each serious incident.
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