An Isis suicide bomber has struck in Kabul, killing dozens of people as they celebrated the start of the Persian new year.
The attack, which has left at least 29 dead, occurred on the road to a Shiite shrine in the Afghan capital.
The terrorist group claimed the attack in an online statement, saying the attack was targeted at "a gathering of Shiites celebrating Nauruz".
Nauruz, as it is known in Afghanistan, is the Persian new year and a national holiday in which the minority Shiites typically celebrate by visiting shrines.
The Public Health Ministry said another 52 people were wounded in the attack, which was carried out by a bomber on foot..
Afghanistan is home to a powerful Isis affiliate which has repeatedly targeted Shiites, though there were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.
Military officials have identified Afghanistan as one of several hubs for Isis following the loss of its self-declared “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq.
The group’s regional branch, named Wilayat Khorasan, has been competing against the Taliban since gathering support from local militants in 2014.
The two terrorist groups have been battling for control over areas of Nangarhar and Farah province, as well as continuing an insurgency against the Afghan government.
Isis has launched several rounds of deadly bombings and shooting attacks in Kabul and other Afghan cities, predominantly targeting Shia Muslims, as well as assassinations across the country.
Its activity has drawn increasing US air strikes against Isis militants in Afghanistan, as well as the Taliban and al-Qaeda factions, seeing a record 653 bombs, missiles and other munitions dropped in October.
According to a report this month by Reporters without Borders, Afghanistan is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for media workers. Before Thursday’s attack, two journalists and five media assistants were killed doing their jobs in 2017.
Additional reporting by AP
