These Photos Are Old and Not Related to Kabul’s Russian Embassy Attack
The Claim
Photos depict the bombing outside the Russian embassy in Kabul on September 5, 2022.
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Following the recent explosion near the Russian embassy in Kabul, social media users have circulated images purporting to depict the incident.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The images are outdated and unrelated to the recent bombing outside the Russian embassy in Kabul.
Old Photos Misattributed to Kabul’s Russian Embassy Blast
Our team investigated the circulating photos and found that the first image purporting to show the bombing is outdated.
The photo was first found online in March 2016, according to TinEye.
However, the photo has been falsely attributed to the 2019 U.S. Embassy bombing in Iraq, the 2020 explosion in Jeddah, and the 2021 explosion at a Bangkok factory.
Another image being passed off as recent was published online in 2016 and depicted an explosion in Kabul.
The original image shows a suicide bomber who, on January 20, 2016, killed four people when he attacked a minibus in front of the Russian embassy in Kabul.
The photo later appeared in articles about a 2018 suicide car bombing in Kabul.
Another image shared in relation to the recent Kabul explosion is also old, dating back to May 2017. It depicts Afghan security forces arriving at the scene of a car bomb attack in Kabul on May 31, 2017.
On the same day, at least 40 people were killed or wounded in a massive blast in Kabul's diplomatic quarter, according to Getty Images.
Suicide Bombing Outside The Russian Embassy in Kabul
Six people, including two embassy employees, were killed and at least ten others were injured in a suicide bombing that occurred at the entrance to the Russian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to Al Jazeera. The explosion, which occurred at the entrance to the embassy's consular section, where Afghans were awaiting their visas, was reported by ABC News.
The explosion occurred right after a Russian diplomat emerged from the building and began to call out the names of the candidates.
The Islamic State issued a statement via Telegram late Monday evening claiming responsibility for the attack, saying that an ISIL member "blew up his suicide vest in a gathering attended by Russian employees" near the embassy.
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