A suicide bomber blew himself up near a shrine in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 26 people and wounding 18 others, officials said, as the Afghan capital celebrated the Nawruz holiday marking the start of the Persian new year.
Nasrat Rahimi, deputy interior ministry spokesman, told news agency Reuters that the bomber blew himself up near the Kart-e-Sakhi shrine, a target of previous terrorist attacks.
The latest explosion to hit Kabul underlined the threat to the city from terror attacks despite government promises to tighten security in the wake of an attack in January that killed around 100 people.
Wednesday's blast, the latest in a series to have hit Shi'ite targets in Kabul, came as people were walking away from the shrine, near the Kabul's main university.
Nawruz, or Navroz, an ancient Persian celebration of the start of spring, is widely celebrated in Afghanistan but has also faced opposition from some fundamentalist Muslims, who say it is un-Islamic.
Nasrat Rahimi, deputy interior ministry spokesman, told news agency Reuters that the bomber blew himself up near the Kart-e-Sakhi shrine, a target of previous terrorist attacks.
The latest explosion to hit Kabul underlined the threat to the city from terror attacks despite government promises to tighten security in the wake of an attack in January that killed around 100 people.
Afghan policemen keep watch at the site of the blast in Kabul
© Thomson Reuters 2018
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Suicide Bombing That Killed 5 Chinese Planned In Afghanistan, Says Pakistan 9 Children Killed After Landmine Explodes In Afghanistan 3 Killed In Suicide Bombing In Afghanistan's Kandahar, 12 Injured 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Ayatollah Khamenei Warns Of "Divine Wrath" If Iran Backs Down Against Israel 150 mg Semen In Kolkata Doctor's Body, Suspect Gang-Rape: Parents To Court In PM Modi's Independence Day Speech, A Call For "24x7 For 2047" Oropouche Virus Kills 2 In Brazil: All About The Rare Disease Punjab Toll Plaza Blunder: Man Charged Rs 220 While Relaxing At Home Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.