The United States condemned the terrorist attack on a wedding hall in Afghanistan’s Kabul, which killed at least 63 people and injured over 180, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said.
An explosion hit a wedding reception in the west of Afghanistan’s capital on Saturday evening. An explosive device was reportedly detonated by a suicide attacker. The Afghan Interior Ministry said that women and children were among the victims. The Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
“We condemn in the strongest terms [IS]’ barbaric #kabulblast on the wedding party in Kabul that left nearly 63 dead and hundreds injured. The US stands with the Afghan government and people,” Bolton tweeted.
Morgan Ortagus, the US State Department’s spokeswoman, also released a statement on the attack, reiterating Washington’s position toward it.
“The United States condemns the despicable [IS] attack at a wedding hall in Kabul yesterday. The Afghan people deserve a future free from terror.
hat is why it is time for all Afghans to join in the #AfghanPeaceProcess and build a united front against the menace of [IS],” Ortagus tweeted.
The blast rocked Kabul less than a week after the United States and the Taliban finished the eighth round of peace talks in Doha. Even though the radical movement denied any involvement in the bombing and condemned it well before the IS claimed responsibility, President Ashraf Ghani said that the Taliban “cannot absolve themselves of blame, for they provide platform for terrorists.”
