At least 61 dead, 207 wounded in Kabul demonstration attack
At least 61 people were killed and 207 were wounded on Saturday in a suicide attack on a demonstration in Kabul claimed an official from the Public Health Ministry said.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack which targeted thousands of Shia Muslims who were protesting over a new power line, saying its route bypasses their provinces.
A freelance journalist working for BBC Afghan said blood and body parts were everywhere, with debris strewn around.
Mohammad Ismail Kawousi, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said the dead and wounded had been taken to nearby hospitals.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.
“Peaceful protest is the right of every citizen, but opportunist terrorists infiltrated the crowds and carried out the attack, killing and injuring a number of citizens including some security forces,” he added.
A large part of Kabul’s city centre had been sealed off for the protest march..
