“Outraged by today’s attack in Kabul that killed dozens who were peacefully demonstrating”. The belt of the second failed to explode and the third attacker was killed by security forces.
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Earlier this month, a delegation of USA senators that had visited Kabul, warned that the worldwide military mission in Afghanistan will fail if troop levels are reduced further, with potentially risky repercussions for the rest of the world. When the explosion happened, everything was demolished, everybody was dead in the street.
The attack prompted growing fear about security in the country since it also marked the first time the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has staged such carnage in Kabul. The marchers were demanding that a major regional electric power line be routed through their impoverished home province.
The original plan was for the power line to run through the Bamiyan Province, where most of the country’s Hazaras live.
The Taleban, a fierce enemy of IS, denied any involvement and saying on its website that the attack was “a plot to ignite civil war”. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
The protesters were demanding that the construction of an electrical transmission line from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Kabul be rerouted through their province of Bamyan, which is not now connected to Afghanistan’s central electricity grid.
Saturday’s attack puts further pressure on President Ashraf Ghani’s struggling government.
The Ministry of Interior last night confirmed the death toll had risen to 80 and that over 230 people were wounded.
The crowd that dispersed due to the blasts quickly returned to the spot to help the injured.
Afghanistan was in mourning on Sunday, a day after the deadliest attack in the capital in 15 years killed at least 80 people. Urgent appeals for blood donors circulated on social media. “We want to make it clear Our Mujahideen had no hand in the attack”, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in an email. One detonated himself, the other was shot by police before he was able to blow himself up, they said. None of the organizers could be immediately reached for comment.
“Brazil condemns the attack in Kabul and expresses solidarity with the families of the victims, the people and government of Afghanistan”, said a Brazilian Foreign Ministry statement.
On Saturday, Afghan President had said he was deeply saddened over the incident.
The commander of U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson condemned the attack. The agency carried an ISIS statement, calling it an attack on Shi’ites.
Hazaras have been targeted in both Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years. The U.S embassy in Kabul also issued a condemnation.
The May march was attended by Hazara political leaders, who were notable by their absence Saturday.
While the Afghan leader promised to uphold citizens’ right to protest, the government chose to ban all forms of public gathering for the next 10 days.
In November, thousands of Hazara marched through Kabul to protest at government inaction after seven members of their community were beheaded by Islamist militants and several protesters briefly tried to force their way into the presidential palace.
Hazaras are considered the poorest of the country’s ethnic groups, and often complain of discrimination.
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“We can’t yet identify what sort of blast it was or how many people have been affected”, he said.
