3 dead in attack on Shia gathering in Kabul

Kabul, March 7 (IANS) At least three people were killed and another 22 were injured on Thursday after several rockets were fired at a gathering, reportedly attended by thousands of members of the Shia Muslim Hazara minority community, in the Afghan capital.

The gathering was marking the anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a Hazara leader. The explosions were heard in the afternoon when the country's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah was speaking at the event. It was broadcast live, Efe news reported. 

Other top government officials, including Presidential candidate Abdul Latif Pedram, were also in attendance. He escaped with minor injuries, according to a post on his official Facebook page.

Interior Minister Nasrat Rahimi told Efe news that "several mortars were fired" and they landed around 100 metres from the gathering.

"Fortunately the attacker who was firing the mortars from a house was arrested by the security forces," Rahimi said, adding that those helping the attacker would be arrested soon.

The Ministry of Public Health's spokesperson Wahidullah Mayar tweeted: "Three martyred and 22 injured, including three children and one woman." 

The event was cancelled immediately after the attack and Deputy Chief Executive and the event's organizer, Mohammad Mohaqiq, advised the participants to evacuate gradually.

"They are firing mortars, they are changing the direction of the shelling, to target the gathering," Mohaqiq was heard saying during the attack.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned "the terrorist attack" in a statement and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. "Attacking public gatherings is a criminal act and a clear enmity against democracy and democratic values.
Candidates for the forthcoming general election in July had also gathered to pay their respects to Mazari - founder of the Hazara party Hezbe Wahdat - who was killed by the Taliban in 1995.

No one has claimed the attack yet but the Hazaras - the most persecuted community in the country - have been frequent targets of attacks by Sunni Muslim militant groups such as the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS).

The commemoration of the Hazara leader's death anniversary was also targeted last year, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the event after he was stopped by the security forces.

The attack, in which nine people had died and 18 were wounded, was claimed by the IS.