Kabul : Thirtyfour people were killed in massive explosions that rocked Kabul, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan Tuesday, a day after the Bonn conference that focussed on the strife-ridden nation’s future, an official and an eyewitness said.
Capital Kabul was the first to be hit by a deafening blast.
“The blast, believed to be a suicide bombing, happened at a shrine in Murad Khani area (of Kabul) where hundreds of mourners were observing Ashura,” an official told Xinhua.
Karam Ali, an eyewitness, said more than 30 people were killed and several were injured.
An explosion also rocked Mazar-e-Sharif, killing four people and injuring four, northern region police spokesman Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai said.
Mazar-e-Sharif is 305 km north of Kabul.
“The terrorists planted an explosive device inside a handcart and detonated it by remote control killing four people and injuring four others, all are innocent civilians,” Ahmadzai told Xinhua.
He added that some people were going to attend the Ashura ceremony when the blast occurred and caused the casualties.
The third bombing took place in Kandahar city, injuring five people.
Provincial police chief Abdul Razeq said: “The terrorists planted a bomb in the cavities of a motorbike and detonated it in Charso Chowk of Kandahar city at around 1 p.m. as a result two policemen and three civilians were injured.”
Delegates from over 100 countries and international organisations met in Bonn Monday to focus their energies on drawing up a roadmap for Afghanistan’s future. The conference was aimed at mobilising the international community in support of Afghanistan, and beyond 2014, when international combat troops are due to leave the country.
IANS
