43 killed in suicide attack on Eid el Maulud gathering in Kabul

At least 43 people were killed in a suicide attack on a religious celebration in Kabul on Tuesday , officials said , in one of the deadliest assaults to strike Afghanistan this year .
It follows a wave of bloody violence across the war – torn country in recent weeks that has killed hundreds of people as militants step up assaults amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the 17 – year conflict .

At least 83 people were wounded in the blast , health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said , which targeted religious scholars and leaders inside a wedding hall where hundreds had gathered to mark the Prophet Mohammad ’ s birthday — one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar .

At least 24 are in a critical condition .
Religious studies lecturer Mohammad Hanif said verses of the Koran were being recited when there was a deafening explosion followed by “ chaos ” inside the packed hall .

“ More than 60 or 70 people were martyred , ” Hanif , 31 , told AFP outside a trauma facility run by Italian NGO Emergency . He escaped unhurt .

“ They suffered burns , everyone in the halls was screaming for help. ”

A photo posted on WhatsApp purportedly of the function room showed blood -splattered bodies, some with clothes partially ripped off by the force of the blast , overturned chairs and broken glass strewn over the floor.

President Ashraf Ghani declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the victims of the attack , which he described in a statement as an “ unforgivable crime ” .

A manager of the multi – storey Uranus Wedding Palace , which also hosts political and religious functions , told AFP the suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of the gathering of around 1 , 000 people .

“ There are a lot of casualties — I myself have counted 30 casualties , ” he told AFP on condition of anonymity .

The aid organisation Emergency said on Twitter 33 wounded and seven dead had been taken to its hospital in Kabul .

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast , but the Islamic State group has claimed most recent suicide attacks in Kabul, which has become the most dangerous place in the country for civilians .

The Taliban condemned the attack in a WhatsApp message .

It was the bloodiest assault in the Afghan capital since a twin bomb attack on a wrestling club in September that killed at least 26 people , and one of the deadliest in the country this year .

A suicide attack on Afghans protesting the appointment of a local police chief in the eastern province of Nangarhar in September killed at least 68 people and wounded another 165 . No group claimed that explosion.

In January an ambulance packed with explosives detonated in a crowded street in the heart of Kabul, killing more than 100 people , mostly civilians . The attack was claimed by the Taliban .

Last month ’ s parliamentary elections sparked a wave of deadly violence across the country , with hundreds killed or wounded in poll – related attacks.

It is not the first time religious scholars have been targeted by militants in the Islamic country .

In June a suicide bomber struck near a gathering of clerics in Kabul, about an hour after the group had proclaimed such attacks a sin.

The latest attack comes as the Taliban intensifies pressure on Afghan security forces , even as the international community ramps up efforts to convince the group to engage in peace talks .

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul on Sunday that a peace deal to end the war could be struck before the Afghan presidential election , scheduled for April.

His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for a peace deal to be done quickly .

( AFP )

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