14 dead in attack on Shiite shrine in Kabul ahead of Ashura

Afghan policemen stand guard near the site of the attack on the Sakhi Shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 11, 2016. Mohammad Ismail/Reuters

KABUL // At least 14 people were killed and another 26 wounded on Tuesday in a militant attack on a Shiite shrine in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The Sakhi Shrine, which is located in the city’s western suburbs, is the largest such shrine in Kabul.

The dead included 13 civilians and one policeman, while three police officers were also among wounded, said interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

Contrary to earlier reports of three gunmen, Mr Sediqqi said only one gunman was involved in the attack. He was shot dead by police.

The attack took place as Shiites gathered ahead of Wednesday’s Ashura, a holy day of mourning that commemorates the death in 680AD of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Imam Hussein.

Kabul police had warned Shiites against large gatherings as attacks were expected. On Monday Lt Gen Gul Nabi Ahmadzia, the commander of the Kabul garrison, said he had received credible reports that Ashura activities would be targeted and called for Shiites to hold the ceremonies “within limits”.

Shiites make up an estimated 15 per cent of Afghanistan’s population of around 30 million people. Most Afghan Shiites are ethnic Hazaras. Militant Sunni groups such as the Taliban and ISIL view Shiites as apostates and frequently attack Shiite mosques and public gatherings.

A July suicide bomb attack in central Kabul that targeted a public demonstration by Hazaras killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 200.

In 2011, at least 54 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his device at another Kabul shrine where hundreds of people had gathered. A Shiite mosque in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif was hit at the same time, killing four.

* Associated Press