Attack on Muharram procession in Kabul, eight dead, ISIS claims responsibility
Eight deaths have been confirmed in an explosion in the middle of Muharram mourning processions in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
On the other hand, the Taliban has condemned the incident while Daesh has accepted the responsibility.
According to the Reuters news agency, the Islamic State Group or Daesh Khorasan branch claimed responsibility for the attack and claimed that 20 people were killed in the attack.
Muharram and nine-day holiday have been removed from the calendar two days earlier.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in a tweet on Friday evening that an explosive device was planted on a vehicle among civilians in the six-city area of Kabul today.
Eight deaths have been confirmed in the blast. Zabihullah Mujahid says that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns this cowardly act.
He emphasized that such actions of these people are enemies of religion and country, who do not want the security and happiness of our nation.
A video posted on social networks after the explosion showed many dead and injured people in the streets. The men are said to be leaving a mosque in Sarkariz, west of Kabul.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a tweet strongly condemned the attack on the mourners and called it a crime against humanity against all Islamic and humanitarian standards and values.
On Wednesday, a fierce clash between Taliban security forces and the Daesh group took place in a house in Karte Sakhi, west of Kabul, for several hours, which ended in the death of the Taliban. A few ISIS members and 4 Taliban policemen were killed and one policeman was injured.
The Afghan Shia Ulema Council, in a statement following the incident on Wednesday, warned that "danger is looming" and asked all mourning groups to take all precautions.
Syed Hussain Alami Balkhi, a senior member of the Afghan Shia Ulema Council, told that the Taliban had asked Shias to perform the funeral with "caution".
Kabul Taliban police spokesman Khalid Zadran told that a large amount of explosives planted in the city exploded among civilians on the street.
He said that the security forces have started efforts to arrest the perpetrators of this crime.
Ashura holiday is over
The government's new holiday calendar (birthday of the Prophet of Islam), Nowruz and Ashura (10 Muharram) were removed from the calendar.
He said that the reason for removing these days as holidays is because of the large number of holidays in the Afghan calendar.
Meanwhile, the commission for organizing Ashura celebrations in Kabul says the Taliban told them not to mourn in the streets'' for security reasons.
Shuja Mohseni, a member of the commission for organizing Ashura in Kabul said, but it did not stop people from mourning at the main gatherings.
He also said that one difference between this year's Ashura celebration and other years is that they do not have personal weapons to ensure people's safety. Because these weapons were seized by the Taliban during house-to-house searches.
In recent years, with the growing threat of attacks by the so-called Islamic State, ISIS on Muharram mourning events, apart from security forces, the government has also distributed weapons to locals to ensure the security of these events. .
On Wednesday, in the Karte Sakhi area of Kabul, fierce clashes broke out for several hours between Taliban forces and people, whom a Taliban spokesman called "evil and Khawarij" (the Taliban refer to the Daesh group as Khawarij).
Earlier, Kabul Police Spokesman Khalid Zadran said that the security forces have taken all measures to ensure the security of the Muharram ceremony.
Last year, Muharram and Ashura celebrations coincided with the first days of the Taliban's arrival in Kabul, with several Taliban officials attending mourning ceremonies and giving speeches, and the Taliban provided security for the events.