Abdullah Abdullah's Kabul rally attacked, death toll rises to 27
March 06, 2020
KABUL: Twenty-seven people were reportedly killed and 29 were wounded on Friday when a political rally led by Afghanistan leader Abdullah Abdullah was attacked by gunmen.
The Taliban immediately denied responsibility for the assault, which occurred at the commemoration ceremony for Abdul Ali Mazari -- a politician from the Hazara ethnic group.
Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said gunfire had erupted from a construction site near the ceremony in the city’s west.
"Soon after the attack, police forces and police special forces units rushed to the scene," Rahimi told a local news station, noting that sporadic gunfire was ongoing.
Photos on social media showed at least two bodies, but there was no official word on a death toll.
"We left the ceremony following the gunfire, and a number of people were wounded, but I do not have any reports of martyred people for now," Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told Tolo News.
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The ceremony was attended by many of the country’s political elite, including Abdullah Abdullah.
The interior ministry later confirmed to reporters that "all the high-ranking officials were safely evacuated from the scene".
The incident comes less than a week after the US and Taliban signed a deal that would pave the way for the complete withdrawal of foreign troops in 14 months.
However, fighting has continued to rage across the country, casting a pall over hopes that the agreement would lead to a reduction in violence.
With additional reporting by AFP
