·
The governor of Helmand province received minor injuries in the blasts
·
Farmer Day celebrations last a few days and mark the traditional
Pakistani new year
LASHKAR GAH,
Afghanistan: An attack claimed by the Taliban killed four people and wounded 31
on Saturday during a celebration in the Afghan city of Lashkar Gah.
Afghanistan’s
multi-day celebrations to mark its traditional new year have been marred by
several attacks, beginning with explosions claimed by Islamic State in the
capital of Kabul on Thursday that killed six people and wounded 23.
Saturday’s blasts in
the southern provincial capital appeared to have been caused by explosives
planted at the stadium where nearly 1,000 people were celebrating Farmers Day.
Helmand provincial
governor Mohammad Yasin Khan was knocked over but suffered only superficial
injuries, a spokesman said.
Taliban spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility on Twitter for the explosions.
In Reuters video
footage, bursts of gunfire can be heard before and after one of the blasts,
causing people to flee. A Reuters witness said the gunfire came from security
personnel.
“There was chaos and people
were running. Security forces asked them to calm down and then the second
explosion happened,” said Najibullah, who was in the stadium for the
celebrations.
He said the explosions
seemed to originate from where tents were set up for farmers to display their
produce.
The Persian new year
is widely celebrated in Afghanistan but some hard-line Islamists oppose the
festivities, saying they are un-Islamic.
Helmand, source of
much of Afghanistan’s opium, is one of several Afghan provinces in which
insurgents have the greatest control and influence.
The latest attack came
a year after a car bomb killed at least 14 people who had gathered for a
wrestling match in Lashkar Gah.
Fighting has been
relentless in Afghanistan amid recurring peace talks between US and Taliban
negotiators. The latest negotiating round wrapped up this month with both sides
saying there was progress toward ending the 17-year war.
The US Special
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction estimated in January that the
government controlled or influenced just over half the country, covering nearly
two-thirds of the population.
credit to: arab news- 23 Mac 2019
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