80 dead as IS claims Kabul twin blasts

Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for twin explosions yesterday that ripped through crowds of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul, killing at least 80 people and wounding 231 others in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since 2001, reports AFP from Kabul. The bombings during a huge protest over a power line mark the first major IS assault on the Afghan capital, apparently aimed at sowing sectarian discord in a country well known for Shia-Sunni harmony. Charred bodies and dismembered limbs littered the scene of the attack, with ambulances struggling to reach the site as authorities had overnight blocked key intersections with stacked shipping containers to control movement of the protesters. "As a result of the attack 80 people were martyred and 231 others were wounded," the interior ministry said.
"Based on initial information, the attack was carried out by three suicide bombers... The third attacker was gunned down by security forces."
The wounded overwhelmed city hospitals, officials said, with reports emerging of blood shortages and urgent appeals for donors circulating on social media.
The Taliban, who are in the middle of their annual summer offensive and are more powerful than IS, strongly denied any involvement in the attack.
The Islamic State group claimed the bombings in a statement carried by its affiliated Amaq news agency, calling it an attack on Shiites.
"Two fighters of the Islamic State detonated their explosive belts in a gathering of Shiites in... Kabul," Amaq said.
The attack represents a major escalation for IS, which so has largely been confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar.
"It's long been a fear about Afghanistan that IS-aligned forces will try to inject a sectarian dimension into a largely non-sectarian conflict," Michael Kugelman, an analyst at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, told AFP.
The National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's main intelligence agency, said the attack was masterminded by Abu Ali, an IS commander in Nangarhar's volatile Achin district.
The bombings mark the deadliest single attack in the Afghan capital since the Taliban were toppled from power in a 2001 US-led invasion, the interior ministry said.
President Ashraf Ghani vowed "revenge" against the perpetrators of the attack and announced Sunday as a national day of mourning.

 

80 dead as IS claims Kabul twin blasts

Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for twin explosions yesterday that ripped through crowds of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul, killing at least 80 people and wounding 231 others in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since 2001, reports AFP from Kabul. The bombings during a huge protest over a power line mark the first major IS assault on the Afghan capital, apparently aimed at sowing sectarian discord in a country well known for Shia-Sunni harmony. Charred bodies and dismembered limbs littered the scene of the attack, with ambulances struggling to reach the site as authorities had overnight blocked key intersections with stacked shipping containers to control movement of the protesters. As a result of the attack 80 people were martyred and 231 others were wounded, the interior ministry said. Based on initial information, the attack was carried out by three suicide bombers... The third attacker was gunned down by security forces. The wounded overwhelmed city hospitals, officials said, with reports emerging of blood shortages and urgent appeals for donors circulating on social media. The Taliban, who are in the middle of their annual summer offensive and are more powerful than IS, strongly denied any involvement in the attack. The Islamic State group claimed the bombings in a statement carried by its affiliated Amaq news agency, calling it an attack on Shiites. Two fighters of the Islamic State detonated their explosive belts in a gathering of Shiites in... Kabul, Amaq said. The attack represents a major escalation for IS, which so has largely been confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar. Its long been a fear about Afghanistan that IS-aligned forces will try to inject a sectarian dimension into a largely non-sectarian conflict, Michael Kugelman, an analyst at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, told AFP. The National Directorate of Security, Afghanistans main intelligence agency, said the attack was masterminded by Abu Ali, an IS commander in Nangarhars volatile Achin district. The bombings mark the deadliest single attack in the Afghan capital since the Taliban were toppled from power in a 2001 US-led invasion, the interior ministry said. President Ashraf Ghani vowed revenge against the perpetrators of the attack and announced Sunday as a national day of mourning.