Wedding ceremony in Afghanistan turns into mourning

At least 35 members of a wedding party, including women and children, were killed and multiple wounded in an airstrike in southern Afghanistan.

An airstrike and raid were conducted by Afghan Special Forces against of Taliban in southern Helmand province.

Deputy provincial councilman Abdul Majed Akhund, said that initial reports showed 24 civilians were killed, but the number “possibly would rise” when a final toll was available.

The provincial governor’s spokesman Omar Zwak, said 14 insurgents including six foreigners were killed during the raid. They were investigating reports of civilian casualties, he added.

Earlier, a drone attack occurred in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, killed at least 16 and wounded tens, most of them were civilians.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan accepted the responsibility of the attack and said they carried out a strike in eastern Nangarhar targeting Islamic State positions.

The violence has further distressed the country as national elections later this month will be organized.

On September 17, a suicide bomber had also killed at least 24 people outside a campaign rally for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, less than two weeks ahead of elections.

A further 32 people had been wounded, Parwan hospital director Dr. Abdul Qasim Sangin had told AFP, adding: “The toll includes women and children”.

Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi had said the bomber had been on a motorbike and had detonated at the first checkpoint leading to the rally. Ghani was unhurt.