Three Spanish tourists killed in central Afghanistan gun attack

A file photo from March 2024 of a Taliban soldier standing guard in front of the ruins of a 1,500-year-old Buddha statue in Bamiyan

Three Spanish tourists have been killed by gunmen in the central Afghanistan city of Bamiyan, the Spanish government says.

Afghan officials said an Afghan national was also killed, while another four foreigners and three Afghans were injured.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but Afghan interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said four people had been arrested.

In a statement Mr Qani said the Taliban government “strongly condemns this crime, expresses its deep feelings to the families of the victims and assures that all the criminals will be found and punished”.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on social media he was “overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan”.

Offering his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, he said he was following the situation closely and pledged consular support.

At least one Spanish national was also among those injured, Spain's foreign ministry said.

Mountainous Bamiyan is home to a Unesco world heritage site and the remains of two giant Buddha statues which were blown up by the Taliban during their previous rule in 2001.

Since retaking power in Afghanistan in 2021 the Taliban have vowed to restore security and encourage a small but growing number of tourists trickling into the country. The Taliban government sells tickets to access the site of the Buddha statues.

Though the country's civil war ended with the Taliban takeover, the Islamic State group has carried out attacks on the Taliban and there is an anti-Taliban insurgency in some areas.