Updated — 1:07 p.m. ET
The Senior Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs in Afghanistan said a suicide bombing at Kabul's Esteqlal High School, where the French Institute of Afghanistan is located, killed one person and injured 15 on Thursday.
#AFG Suicide attack in Estqlal High school , 1 killed and more than 15 ppl injured
Kabul police chief, Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi confirmed there was on casualty and between 15 to 20 injured.
"Because of the smoke, it was impossible to identify the exact number of the casualties," he told The Associated Press.
Afghanistan's TOLO News reported that the suicide bombing took place during a theatrical performance organized by the Institut Français d'Afghanistan (IFA).
BREAKING: During a theatrical performance named "Heart Beat" at Istiqlal HS a suicide bomber detonated his explosives among the audience.
The IFA is located in the French-run Esteqlal High School (Lycée Esteqlal), one of Kabul's oldest and most prestigious schools.
There were no French citizens among the casualties, a French Embassy official told the AP.
The school is under contract to the French government which provides funds and teachers, and conducts cultural activities there.
The IFA performance was called "Heartbeat: The Silence After the Explosion."
IFA Explosion: this theater show named "Heart Beat; the silence after explosion" was happening when blast happened.
The IFA had concluded a series of events celebrating Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.
The suicide bomber was reportedly a 16-year-old boy.
#AFG Kabul police spox attacker was 16 years old.Several eye witnesses say, he posed as a visitor&was watching movie when he blew himself up
The Taliban reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
#Taliban claimed responsibility of suicide attack in French Culture institute in Estiqlal school. A long statement released with many claims
The Taliban's statement justified the bombing saying the event was staged to "insult Islamic values" and "spread propaganda about suicide attacks."
#Taliban justified attack: Event staged "to insult Islamic values + spread propaganda abt jihad operations, esp.. suicide attacks" #kabul
"We'll treat cultural invasion the same as military invasion," the Taliban said.
There's a lot to read in the Taliban's statement on the Lycee Esteqlal attack. "We'll treat cultural invasion the same as military invasion"
An attendee shared a video of the theater moments after the blast.
TOLO News' uploaded a video of the theater after the explosion.
Crowd from concert program gathered outside hospital in #Kabul. This is how we live. #Afghanistan
#IFA #Kabul blast scene
Giuliano Battiston, a freelance journalist, was watching the performance when the explosion occurred.
#Kabul: "Heartbeat. the silence after the explosion" theatre performance at French Institute
@bsarwary i was there to see "heartbeet" a theatre piece,at least 1suicide bomber,several injured people,some seriously, at @emergency_ong
Battiston said the suicide bomber was seated as a guest before detonating the explosives during the performance.
@bsarwary, the suicide bomber was inside the theatre, seating as a ordinary visitor,in middle of performance he blew his explosive