It was claimed by the so-called Islamic State group.
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On a hillside to the west of Kabul, mourners dug out graves for their loved ones. Secondary attacks have been known to target people who come to the aid of those wounded in a first explosion.
In a statement issued by its news agency, Amaq, the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack – reported as the deadliest in Kabul since the USA invasion overthew the Taliban government in 2001.
Mr Sayed’s cousin was one of four relatives he lost last Saturday when suicide bombers set off twin blasts at a protest by members of the mainly Shi’ite Hazara community, who were protesting against the planned route of a power line. They were demanding that this Tutap line connecting Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan should pass through the Hazara-dominated Bamyan and Wardak provinces. President Obama issued a directive in June allowing the USA military to work with Afghan forces on non-combat missions.
According to USA Today, this would be the first time the Islamic State has gone through with an attack on the country’s capital.
“I promise you, I will take revenge against the culprits”, Ghani said in a televised address after the attack. One of the suicide bombers was shot by the police, he told AP.
They are considered the poorest of the country’s ethnic groups, and often complain of discrimination.
The Interior Ministry announced a nationwide 10-day ban on protests due to security reasons after the attack. “The third attacker was gunned down by security officials”, an NDS official said. “But they will fail”, Tolo News quoted him as saying Ghani said that directed a special commission and the attorney general to investigate the incident and find those responsible.
The movement also wanted the pipeline rerouted through Bamiyan, as originally demanded.
The government says the new route, through the Salang Pass north of Kabul, would save millions of dollars in costs and expedite the project. Among the wounded was a protest leader and member of Parliament, Ahmed Behzad, witnesses said.
Hussain Ali Rezaee, who participated in Saturday’s demonstration, said that people had started funeral ceremonies Sunday morning.
At the request of the Hazara, Ghani also renamed the attack site as “Martyr’s Square” in honor of the victims.
“Two fighters from Islamic State detonated explosive belts at a gathering of Shiites in. the city of Kabul in Afghanistan”, read the brief message by Amaq. “The attack was carried out by three suicide bombers…”
The attack was the deadliest to hit Kabul in 15 years of civil war.
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A peaceful protest that was carried out in Kabul did not let the Afghan capital remain peaceful.
