Iran Raps Kabul Terror Attack Targeting Those Marking Holy Prophet’s Birthday
Qassemi strongly condemned the horrendous attack, which killed at least 50 people, including a number of Sunni Muslim clerics, saying it was aimed at nothing but fanning the flames of ethnic, sectarian and religious sedition.
He expressed condolences to the government and people of Afghanistan and the families of the victims.
The Iranian spokesman also hoped that the Afghan nation will use past experiences in the fight against terrorism to put behind these days that have seen a rise in terrorist crimes and take strong steps on the path of restoring peace and security.
He also reaffirmed the Iranian government and nation’s all-out support for Afghanistan on this path, the foreign ministry website reported.
More than 50 people were killed and over 80 wounded after a huge explosion ripped through a building in Afghanistan's capital in which a large crowd of people, including religious scholars, were marking the birthday anniversary of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
The deadly attack was carried out at the Uranus Wedding Hall on the airport road in the city center of Kabul at about 06:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
The Afghan television station, Tolo News, citing a number of eyewitnesses, said at least 1,000 people were present in the hall at the time of the explosion, which is the deadliest of such attacks in Kabul in recent months.
Reports said the attacker, wearing an explosives-laden vest, entered a banquet room in the hall, a massive complex housing several large banqueting halls, and detonated his explosives.
Officials at Kabul's Emergency Hospital told Reuters that at least 30 ambulances had rushed to the explosion site and more than 40 people were critically wounded.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but it bears the hallmark of attacks carried out by the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which has taken advantage of the chaos in Afghanistan and established a foothold in the war-torn country’s eastern and northern regions.
In a statement, President Ashraf Ghani declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the victims of the deadly attack, which he described as an “unforgivable crime.”
