Afghan chief executive, ex-president unharmed after rocket attack in Kabul

An event attended by Afghanistan’s current chief executive and former president in the capital, Kabul, has been attacked with rockets, killing at least three people and injuring 22 others.

Several explosions caused by rockets were heard midday on Thursday at the site of a ceremony in western Kabul to mark the 24th anniversary of the death of Shia Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari.

Hundreds of people — including Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and former president Hamid Karzai and leaders of the Shia Hazara community — were present at the ceremony.

Afghanistan’s Tolo News, which had a camera crew reporting live from the site, said that at least 10 explosions had been heard.

“The exact area from where the rockets were launched has been identified. So far, we have reports that three people were injured,” said Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesperson at the Interior Ministry.

A reporter at the ceremony told TOLO that ambulances were rushed to the area, adding, “Many people were injured.”

The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group later claimed the mortar attack saying its fighters targeted the ceremony with mortar fire, according to a statement published by the group's news outlet, Amaq.

Hazara people have been attacked by militants countless times. Abdul Ali Mazari was killed by the Taliban militant group on March 12, 1995 after being taken captive by the group a day earlier.

Taliban’s five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end in the wake of a United States-led invasion in 2001, but the militant group still continues to attack government and civilian targets as well as foreign forces still present on Afghan soil.

The militant group is negotiating with the US but has so far refused to deal directly with the government in Kabul, which it says it does not recognize.

The US forces, meanwhile, have remained bogged down there through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump.

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