The Islamic State claims three Spanish citizens and three Afghans were killed in an attack in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on foreigners in central Afghanistan that killed three Spanish citizens and three Afghans.

Seven people were injured in Friday’s attack in Bamiyan province, a major tourist area, according to Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the interior minister. He said seven suspects were arrested at the scene.

The Islamic State group issued statements late Sunday on its Aamaq news agency saying IS militants had attacked a bus carrying tourists and their guides. “The attack was in response to ISIS leaders’ instructions to attack European Union citizens wherever they are,” it said.

According to the Spanish Foreign Ministry, three Spaniards died and at least one other was injured. 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 Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan is a major rival to the Taliban and its militants have attacked schools, hospitals, mosques and minority Shiite 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.

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 was home to two giant Buddha statues, carved into a cliff between the 4th and 6th centuries, and destroyed by the Taliban in early 2001 at the urging of al-Qaeda.

Separately, a hand grenade exploded in the southern city of Kandahar on Monday, killing at least one civilian and wounding three, the Kandahar police chief’s office said.

Police were investigating the explosion near the road to Kandahar airport, the statement said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion.