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On March 17, 2026, extremely intense explosions shook Kabul, and at the very beginning of the day, there were at least four to six explosions reported in the various areas of the Afghan capital. According to eyewitnesses and local media, the first blast happened in a busy market in the Dasht-e-Barchi area, then in Shar-e-Naw and Khair Khana and around the area surrounding the Ministry of Interior.

Dense clouds of black smoke were floating around areas of the city, and there were videos posted on social media that revealed destroyed buildings, broken windows, and panicking citizens who ran away. There are first reports of civilian deaths in the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency and outside reports, but the numbers have not been confirmed due to limited access by journalists.

The Taliban security forces closed down the victims' areas with massively armed formations with ambulances. No official claim to the group has been made as yet, but speculation is out that it is Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) that has made these coordinated attacks previously to undermine Taliban rule.

The explosions come at a time when people are on high alert in Kabul due to the occurrence of targeted killings and threats. Humanitarian access has been demanded by the international observers because the events contribute to the weak security situation in Afghanistan.