A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up on the road to a Shiite shrine in Kabul, killing at least 26 people as Afghans celebrated the Persian New Year, said an Afghan official.
Nasrat Rahimi, the deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said another 18 people were wounded in Wednesday’s attack. He said the attacker was on foot.
According to media reports, Nasrat Rahimi added that the bomber blew himself up near the Kart-e Sakhi shrine and the Kabul University.
The Persian New Year, known in Afghanistan as Nauruz, is a national holiday. The country’s minority Shiites typically celebrate the day by visiting shrines.
No one immediately took responsibility for the attack. Afghanistan is home to a powerful Islamic State affiliate that has repeatedly targeted Shiites, who the Sunni extremists view as apostates deserving death.
The death toll could rise as emergency personnel were attending to the victims on the scene. Witnesses said they saw many bodies on the ground soon after the explosion.
(With inputs from agencies)