Three Spaniards were among six people killed when gunmen opened fire in central Afghanistan, officials said

Three Spanish citizens and three Afghans were killed when gunmen opened fire in central Afghanistan, Taliban and Spanish officials said Saturday.

Officials had previously said four people had died. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Friday night attack.

Seven suspects were arrested at the scene in Bamiyan province, a major tourist area, and an investigation was underway, Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the interior minister, said on Saturday. He said seven other people were injured.

Qani did not provide any information about the nationality of the foreign citizens, but the Spanish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that three Spaniards were killed and at least one other was injured in the attack. A Taliban official in Bamiyan, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the four injured foreigners were from Spain, Norway, Australia and Latvia.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on the social media platform X that he was “overwhelmed” by the news.

Qani said all the wounded were taken to the capital Kabul for treatment and were in stable condition.

The UN aid mission in Afghanistan said it was deeply shocked and horrified by the attack on civilians.

“We express our condolences to the victims of the attack and provide assistance following the incident,” UNAMA said on X.

The Islamic State branch in Afghanistan, a major rival of the Taliban, is likely to be blamed for the attack. IS militants have carried out numerous attacks on schools, hospitals, mosques and Shiite minority areas across the country.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their withdrawal from the country after 20 years of war.

In April, the Associated Press visited the Taliban-run Institute for Training Tourism and Hospitality Professionals in Kabul.

The Taliban want to increase the number of tourists coming to the country. In 2021 there were 691 foreign tourists; in 2022 that number increased to 2,300; and last year there were over 7,000.

Bamiyan is probably best known as the site of two giant Buddha statues, carved into the rock face between the 4th and 6th centuries, and destroyed by the Taliban in early 2001 at the urging of al-Qaeda.