05 June 2017•Update: 11 June 2017
By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL, Afghanistan
More than 30 of the total number of people who lost their lives in last week's truck bombing in the capital Kabul, were staffers of Afghanistan’s leading private telecommunication firm.
Roshan -- the telecommunication firm with majority shares by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development -- announced on Monday that up to 31 employees of the company and its partners are among the 90 people dead.
“Roshan can now confirm we have lost 12 Roshan staff members and 19 employees from our longstanding partner companies as a result of Wednesday’s tragic explosion,” a statement by the telecom firm said.
The statement further stated that 50 more staff members were injured in the attack.
The Taliban have denied involvement in the May 31 attack at diplomatic enclave that left 90 people dead and more than 400 others injured.
Neither Haqqani Network -- Taliban-affiliated group -- nor Daesh claimed responsibility.
The government, however, insisted the Haqqani Network -- which rarely propagates their attacks in the media like the Taliban of Daesh -- were behind the attack.
“The militants have no mercy for civilians, they wanted to inflict heavy damage close to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to disrupt this conference,” Dawa Khan, deputy presidential spokesman, told Anadolu Agency.
Among a number of embassies damaged in this attack, the German Embassy has borne the brunt of the truck bombing. The German diplomatic mission, however, hailed the bravery of the Afghan guards in preventing the truck loaded with explosives from entering the diplomatic enclave.
