At least 50 people were killed and dozens more injured when a suicide bomber targeted a group of Muslim religious scholars in Kabul, officials in Afghanistan say.
Hundreds of clerics had gathered to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed at a large wedding hall in the capital before the blast happened, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.
Wahi Majroh, of Afghanistan’s public health ministry, said a further 83 people had been wounded by the bomber.
“The victims of the attack unfortunately are all religious scholars who gathered to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad,” said Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief.
He said police had not been asked to provide security for the event and that the bomber had easily slipped into the hall.
No groups immediately admitted carrying out the attack, but both the Taliban and a local Isis affiliate have both targeted religious scholars aligned to the government in the past.
Isis claimed it was behind a suicide bombing in June that struck a meeting of the country's top clerics in the capital.
That attack killed at least seven people and wounded 20 others.
The body of religious leaders targeted in June, known as the Afghan Ulema Council, had issued a decree against suicide attacks and called for peace talks.
Isis had carried out an attack on members of the council as it was committed to targeting “tyrant clerics” who side with the US-backed Afghan government.
The Taliban denied involvement in the June bombing, but had condemned the meeting of clerics.
Both militant groups want to overthrow the Afghan government and impose a harsh form of Islamic rule, but are bitterly divided over leadership and ideology and they have clashed on a number of occasions.
Additional reporting by agencies
