kabul school attack : why attack and what can be done now?

When others were busy with Jerusalem, 3 major bomb exploded near girls school in afghanistan's capital, kabul. Which lead to death of 100 till now. Many of the students aged  between 11 to 15 years. 

Netizens named the attack as Shia genocide. 

Kabul, capital of Afghanistan in South Asia. Bordered by Pakistan  to east and South. Composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.

 Kabul has been a centre of bomb attacks since a long. If we go through the history of Kabul attacks, we will get to know that in 2008, 2009, and in 2010 there were almost 4 - 5 attacks per year, but after 2017 the number of attacks increased from 7 to 22 - 24. For now kabul has become hub of attacks and explosions.

Who was responsible for this(Kabul school) terrorist attack? How a lot of students died? Why there is always violence in Afghanistan? Who is behind all of these?  

1.President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani suggested "Pakistan to play sincere role in Afghanistan's peace. So somewhere Pakistan who is having base of several terrorist groups can be a reason behind Kabul attack.

On the other hand,

2. "Dasht-e-Barchi" neighborhood in Kabul is populated by Hazara ethnic (followers of Shia Islam). This attack could be a conflict between Shia and other followers of Islam (hit by Sunni militants).

until there is no exact culprit,

3.There is a continuation of blame game between Taliban militants and Islamic state of Iraq and Syria(ISIS).

4.Another reason can be United States. As United States finally decided to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by 11 September 2021.

Why most of the schools are being attacked by terrorists? Is there any specific reason for the attacks on schools?

Only more than 22,000 students, teachers and academic injured or killed or harmed in attacks on education during armed conflict.

According to "300 page report published by global coalition to protect education from attack (GCPEA)". Also more than 11,000 separate attacks and education facilities, students and educators took place between 2015 and 2019.

Number of attacks on education remained high in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine and many more.

According to the report, Attack on schools became frequent because of some reasons. Like

1.Inequality

2.Military purpose

3.recruitment

4. As a signal of threat

1.Attacks on higher education is more frequent than primary education. Approximately 9,100 higher education students, staff were injured, killed abducted or arrested and majority of the schools were of girls which shows the gender inequality in case of education.

This clearly shows that the reason behind the attacks is not to send girls for higher education.

2. GCPEA found, A significant and preventable cause of attacks on school is for military purposes. Armed forces, state actors and armed groups used schools and University for military purposes in 34 countries between 2015 to 2019.

They use schools as bases, detention centres and weapons stores.

3.Target schools and children to recruit them. 

According to United Nations, It is found that in Somalia armed groups recruited   around 280 students from schools in 2017.

4.Attacks and schools can also identified as a signal of threat. Armed groups frequently attack on crowded place to maintain the fear among people.

 That's one of the reasons "why crowded place is the most chosen place" because they provide "mass casaulties". This term is known as terrorist threat.

These were the reasons of any terrorist attack. Now let's see how attacks can be prevented. How other countries excelled in preventing the attacks?

 Here is the example from which India should also learn and implement. 

If we take example of Australia model, A country with low crime rate, yet managed several attacks, specially the latest attack which was of 17 December, 2020. Only 2 people killed and 1 got injured.

Some solutions which got inspired by strategy of Australia in preventing the attacks in protecting the lives of people. These strategies can be implemented by other countries also in order to avoid any kind of attacks in future.

1.Trusted partnership between all forms of government :  In case of crowded place, This strategy works with the engagement of police, Owner of the place and operator agencies. Here police plays main role and others are just a medium of sharing information. 

2.Enable better Information sharing guidance:  second step after partnership will be sharing of information. So that an organised committee can be set up which can provide threat information and intelligence through different mechanisms. 

The way Australia did, which is named as Australian security intelligence organisation(ASIO), Which is responsible for protection of country and its citizens.

 3.Implementing effective protective security:    Implementing protective security measures can be Complex, if done incorrectly can be costly and ineffective. Goal of implementing protective security is to reduce the successful terrorist attacks, which can be done through security of the place.

4.Layered security :    after all the measures and intelligence, the most important step is layers of security which not only protects but co-ordinates when someone is in need, reacts/Answers on time.

 This process has 4 steps: 

1.Deter

2.Detect

3.Delay

4.Respond 

1.Deter :  preventive measures like 

Fence,  electronic access control

 2.detect : security through alert system 

Like cctv TV cameras.

3. Delay : the physical counter measures 

Like trained staffs

 and the last and final one,

 4.Respond : timely and coordinated reaction by security forces.

 

People of Kabul has left the hope regarding terrorists attacks, as government is unable to cope up or find any solution. People wanted to do something on their own. "If we want to protect ourselves, Men and women should pick up guns" said Gulam, labour in Afghanistan. In the context of Kabul School attack.