Kabul Suicide Blast: Death toll reaches 33, IS claims the attack

The blast was carried out by Islamic State group suicide bomber on foot, who blew himself off on the road to a shiite shrine in the Afghan capital.

A sandal is seen laying on the ground along a road at the site of a suicide bombing attack in Kabul on March 21, 2018. A suicide bomber on March 21 killed at least 26 people, many of them teenagers, in front of Kabul University, officials said, as Afghans took to the streets to celebrate the Persian new year holiday. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack -- the fifth suicide bombing in the Afghan capital in recent weeks -- via its propaganda arm Amaq, SITE Intelligence Group said. The Taliban earlier denied involvement on Twitter. / AFP PHOTO / SHAH MARAI

New Delhi: The death toll in Kabul suicide blast that rocked the Afghan capital on the festival of Navroz, has reportedly escalated to 33, while the number of those injured reached 65. The authorities at the Public Health Ministry confirmed the information. The casualties reported on Wednesday were 26 for those killed and 18 for those injured. The blast was carried out by Islamic State group suicide bomber on foot, who blew himself off on the road to a shiite shrine in the Afghan capital. According to reports, the SITE Intelligence Group which keeps an eye on Jihadi website informed that the IS has claimed the attack in an online statement.  The group said the attack targeted “a gathering of Shiites celebrating Nowruz.” The Persian New Year, also known as Navroz, is a national holiday in Afghanistan. On this occasion the minorities Shiites visit the Persian temple. The location of the attack was near Kabul University and a government hospital. The centre of blast was around one kilometer away from the Sakhi Shrine, putting the lives of students, doctors, patients and devotees at stake. The attacker managed to stealthily slip past the police checkpoints. An investigation into security breach is on the go and dereliction of duty if specified would be punishable. This is the second blast in a month targeting an ethnic group in Afghanistan. Earlier this month in another Islamic State suicide bomber targeted the Hazaras, killing nine and wounding 18. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in a statement condemned the attack. The statement said: “President Ghani, while condemning and condemning Kabul's current terrorist attack as a crime against humanity, emphasizes that terrorist acts and crimes cannot be a barrier to happiness , education, daily activities, development and national and religious events.” “The president has directed the authorities to work on the treatment of the injured and has expressed his deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.”