Gunmen kill 14 in Kabul attack on pilgrims

Kabul : Gunmen targeted pilgrims in Kabul late Tuesday, killing at least 14 people as they gathered to celebrate Ashura, one of the most important festivals on the islam calendar, officials said.

The attack in the Afghan capital marked unravelling security as the resurgent Taliban continued to pressure Afghan forces, with hundreds of commandos sent to reinforce the provincial capital Lashkar Gah in the south.

Some 36 people were wounded and at least one attacker killed in the Kabul attack, interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said. 

Special forces had briefly entered the Karte Sakhi shrine near Kabul University to see if any moregunmen were sheltering inside, with police evacuating people from the area, officials said. 

Of the 14 killed, 13 were civilians and one a police officer. Three police were among the wounded, Seddiqi said. 

"A number of attackers have targeted people in Karte Sakhi shrine," said Kabul Police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi.

"Police have evacuated dozens of people from the shrine." Police also said two grenades had been detonated during the attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, which President Ashraf Ghani condemned as a "clear sign of a crime against humanity".

Ghani vowed the government would use its "maximum capacity" to provide security during Ashura, which will be celebrated on Wednesday. 

The threat of attack targeting pilgrims was considered particularly serious during Ashura, and many foreign embassies had restricted their staff's movements until the end of the week in Kabul. 

Ashura commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was assassinated in 680 and whose tragic end laid the foundation for the faith. 

For muslims around the world, Ashura is a symbol of the struggle against oppression. 

The last attack on the Afghan on July 23 in Kabul, killed 84 people and left 130 injured. It was claimed by the Islamic State organisation.