Dozens dead in Afghanistan suicide attack

At least 50 people are dead after a suicide bomber attacked a gathering of religious clerics in the Afghan capital on Tuesday.

Interior ministry spokesman Najibullah Danish told DW that the clerics had gathered at Uranus Wedding Palace in Kabul to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, when the attacker entered the venue and detonated his explosives. 

More than 80 people were injured, several of them critically.

"All the casualties are religious clerics," Danish said.

President Ashraf Ghani described the bombing as an "unforgivable crime" and declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the victims. 

Read more: The high price of Afghanistan's broken democracy

"Hundreds of Islamic scholars and their followers had gathered to recite verses from the holy Koran to observe the Eid Milad-un-Nabi festival at the private banquet hall," said Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul police.

An unconfirmed photo shared on local WhatsApp groups appeared to show the function room littered with blood-splattered bodies, overturned chairs and broken glass.

Germany's Foreign Ministry condemned the bombing on Twitter and offered condolences to the victims and their relatives. "We will continue to support Afghanistan's president @ashrafghani in the peace process," the ministry said.

Read more: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani ends ceasefire with Taliban

So far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is one of the deadliest to strike the country this year. In the past, both the Taliban and the local affiliate of the "Islamic State" have targeted religious scholars aligned with the US-backed government, which both groups are seeking to overthrow.

The security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly in recent months, with hundreds of people killed in attacks by Islamist militants, despite a renewed push for peace talks.   

aw/msh (AFP, Reuters, AP)