Up to 18 people have been killed in three explosions centered around a funeral in downtown Kabul Saturday, Afghanistan’s TOLO news network reports. Multiple injuries have also been reported, according to local officials cited by TOLO.
Security forces have set up a cordon around the Khair Khana area of Kabul where the explosions took place. The Taliban have denied responsibility for the attack according to local media.
The funeral was reportedly for Salim Izadyar, a protester and son of an Afghan senator, who was shot dead in violent anti-government protests which took place in Kabul Friday.
Up to five people were killed at during the protests according to Afghanistan’s deputy interior minister, as cited by Reuters. Protesters planned a second day of demonstration on Saturday.
Kabul has suffered a number of deadly attacks in recent weeks, and is still reeling from a bomb blast earlier this week which killed more than 80 people and injured 460 in one of the deadliest attacks in the country in recent history.
تازه: وزارت صحت عامه جان باختن ۱۲ تن و زخمی شدن ۱۸ تن دیگر را در انفجار در مراسم خاک سپاری سالم ایزدیار تأیید کرده است pic.twitter.com/SXQKSJqZvr
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) June 3, 2017
Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, was in attendance at the funeral at the time of the explosions.
Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah is safe and sound. He is unharmed in the explosions at the funeral ceremony in #Kabul this afternoon.
— Dr. Abdullah (@afgexecutive) June 3, 2017
