At Least 8 Killed, 18 Injured In Blast At Shia Gathering In Afghanistan

At least eight people were killed and 18 others were injured in an explosion during a Shia community mourning gathering in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, on Friday afternoon.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul Police, told Anadolu Agency that at least eight people were killed and 18 others were injured, some of them in critical condition, when a bomb exploded at a house in the Sar-e-Karez neighborhood in Kabul. The injured were shifted to local hospitals for treatment.

Local sources said women had gathered at the house to mourn the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad, which is being mourned by Shia Muslims around the world during the first 10 days of the Islamic calendar month of Moharram.

Khalid Zadran did not provide any other information regarding the incident, but according to local sources, those killed and injured are all women and children.

So far, no one group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. In the past, however, ISIS/Daesh has claimed responsibility for such attacks on the Shia community in the country and neighboring Pakistan.

On Thursday, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for Afghanistan's interim administration, said security forces killed four ISIS/Daesh terrorists in Kabul's Karte Sakhi neighborhood, while one was apprehended.

Security officers also seized some ammunition and firearms he added.

He stated that terrorists planned to target the Shia community during Muharram, but that the plot was thwarted by security forces.

*Written by Shafiq Ahmad -