Gunmen kill 30 in Kabul

Gunmen opened fire on a political gathering in Kabul on Friday, killing more than 30 people, against a backdrop of tensions between the Afghan government and the U.S. over the Trump administration’s plan with the Taliban toward ending 18 years of war.

Politicians, including the country’s main opposition leader, scrambled for cover as gunmen targeted an outdoor event commemorating the 1995 killing by the Taliban of a revered local figure.

The ISIL claimed it killed and injured 150 people, according to the group's Amaq website, without providing evidence.

It is the deadliest attack since a peace deal was signed last week between the United States and the Taliban that aims for the complete withdrawal of US and NATO troops within 14 months. The war in Afghanistan is the longest one in US history, which continues for more than 18 years.

It was also one of the biggest attacks on civilians in Afghanistan in a year.

 

Dhaka/Mukul