THE Afghan president has condemned a suicide bombing that targeted a gathering of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul.
The attack, which claimed the lives of nine people, has been claimed by Daesh.
President Ashraf Ghani’s statement, shortly after yesterday’s bombing in western Kabul, promised that those behind the attack would be given the death penalty, if found and convicted.
He said the bombing was intended to frighten Afghans but that the perpetrators would not succeed.
Meanwhile, Daesh in a statement posted on an affiliated website said it was behind the Kabul attack.
The suicide bomber targeting the minority community blew himself up at a police checkpoint in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said.
According to Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the bomber was on foot and was trying to strike a gathering of Hazaras who were commemorating the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, killed at the hands of the Taliban.
The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesman said. One policeman was among the dead.
Local Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told the gathering that the explosion was an attempt to terrorise Afghans.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here