At least 14 people including a policeman who gathered to celebrate ‘Ashura’ were killed during a militant attack in the capital Kabul late Tuesday.
Some 36 people were wounded and at least one attacker killed, Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said, adding that the assault was over.
Special forces had briefly entered the Karte Sakhi shrine near Kabul University to see if any more gunmen were sheltering inside, with police evacuating people from the area, officials said. Of the 14 killed, 13 were civilians and one a police officer. Three police were among the wounded, Seddiqi said.
“A number of attackers have targeted people in Karte Sakhi shrine,” said Kabul Police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi, adding, “Police have evacuated dozens of people from the shrine. A number of civilians and police have been injured.”
Police also said two grenades had been detonated during the attack. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, which President Ashraf Ghani condemned as a “clear sign of a crime against humanity”.
Ghani vowed the government would use its “maximum capacity” to provide security during Ashura, which will be celebrated on Wednesday, and called on all Afghanistan’s sects to “stand firmly against” the country’s enemies.
The threat of attack targeting Shiites was considered particularly serious during Ashura, and many foreign embassies had restricted their staff’s movements until the end of the week in Kabul.
(With inputs from AP)
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