KABUL – At least nine people were killed and 22 injured after a suicide bomber on foot blew himself up in a Shiite area of Kabul on Friday.
The Ministry of Interior’s deputy spokesman Nusrat Rahimi told TOLO news that the explosion took place close to Mosalla-e-Mazar, the hall where a gathering was held to mark the death anniversary of Abdul Ali Mazari, former leader of Shiite Hazara community, who was killed by Taliban.
Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told international media that death toll has gone up to nine, while 18 others injured.
Afghanistan’s top politicians, including Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and his deputy Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior Hazara figure, also attended the event.
Kabul police chief Mohammad Daud Amin said that the attacker blew himself up at a check post near the gathering after he failed to get inside.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The attack comes after President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Kabul extended an offer to insurgets for restoring talks.
Friday’s attack comes a week after a car bomb detonated near a passing convoy of Australian embassy convoy in the capital, leaving one child killed and several injured.
