7 killed, 25 injured in blast near Ahmad Shah Massoud event in Afghan capital

A man has blown himself up near a ceremony commemorating the death of Afghanistan's anti-Soviet war hero Ahmad Shah Massoud in the capital Kabul, killing at least seven people.

Government spokesman Wahid Majroh said seven bodies and 25 injured people were taken to the hospital from the attack site after the attacker detonated his explosives on a motorcycle close to a parade marking the 17th assassination anniversary of the famed resistance leader on Sunday.

Among the dead was the driver of a car partaking in the commemorations. According to eyewitnesses, the man died after veering off the road and into the front of a shop at the time of the explosion. Two of the passengers were also wounded.

Majorh said some 13 people were also injured after being hit by falling bullets fired by Massoud’s supporters.

Hours before the blast, Afghan security forces gunned down another suspected bomber in Kabul before he could detonate his explosive device at a similar event.

No group or individual has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

The blast followed a double bombing at a wrestling club that killed 26 people on Wednesday. The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for the blasts.

Massoud was assassinated by two Al-Qaeda operatives disguised as reporters two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks carried out in the United States.

The annual commemoration day for Massoud added tension to the already freighted atmosphere in Kabul, as police blocked major roads. Security forces have already taken preventive measures in the city with rising ethnic rivalries around the country ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections.

Taliban strikes again

Also on Sunday, members of the Taliban militant group attacked a checkpoint in Obe district in Afghanistan’s Herat province, killing nine members of the security forces, Jailani Farhad, the provincial governor spokesman, told AFP.

The overnight attack left five other wounded before coming to an end with intervention by government-backed reinforcements. At least 15 attackers were killed, Farhad said.

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The United States attacked Afghanistan in 2001 to allegedly rid the country of Taliban’s long-running rule. Almost two decades after the presence of foreign troops, however, the militants have gone from strength to strength. 

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