At least 14 people were killed and 36 others were injured in the Afghan capital of Kabul when several gunmen opened fire at a Shiite shrine on Tuesday night.
Those killed in the attack include 13 civilians and one police officer. Ministry of Public Health officials said at least 43 people had been injured in the incident and had been taken to hospitals in the city for treatment.
The attack began just before 8pm and the witnesses reported an explosion followed by gunfire. Initial reports put the number of attackers at three, but Ministry of Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqi said police special forces who responded to the scene found and killed only one gunman.
Security forces at the scene had evacuated the shrine as the attack unfolded, said Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi.
The attack occurred at one of Kabul’s largest shrines as Shi’ite Muslims had gathered to observe the Ashura holy day, which commemorates the 7th Century death of a grandson of the prophet Mohammed. The attacker was dressed in a police or military uniform, according to a police official.
-PTI
