Afghanistan: Blast in Kabul kills 63, injures dozens

At least 63 people have been killed and scores wounded in an explosion targeting a wedding in the Afghan capital.

The suicide blast took place on Saturday evening in the men’s reception area of the Dubai City wedding hall in western Kabul, in a minority Shia neighborhood, packed with people celebrating a marriage.

Women and children were among the casualties, reports said.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack came as the Taliban and the United States are trying to negotiate an agreement on the withdrawal of US forces in exchange for a Taliban commitment on security and peace talks with Afghanistan’s US-backed government.

The Taliban denied any involvement, calling Saturday’s blast “forbidden and unjustifiable.”

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said that the group “cannot absolve themselves of blame, for they provide platform for terrorists.”

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the “inhumane attack” and called for an “extraordinary security meeting to review and prevent such security lapses.”

According to guests present, there were around 1,200 people invited to the wedding.

Sunni Muslim militants have repeatedly attacked Shiite minorities in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan over the years.

Just three weeks ago, a Taliban suicide bomber killed 14 people and wounded 145 in an attack in western Kabul.

Most of the 20,000 foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan are from the US, as part of a NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces in their battle against terrorist threats.