Saturday, July 23, 2016

Suicide Bombings at Kabul Demonstration Kill, Injure Scores
by FAZUL RAHIM and MUSHTAQ YUSUFZAI
NBC News

Suicide bombings on a busy street in the capital of Afghanistan on Saturday killed 61 people and injured 207 others, many of whom were taking part in a political demonstration, authorities said.

The blasts occurred in Dehmazamg Square near the Kabul Zoo on the main road to Parliament, and were likely designed to hit people out on a weekend, Health Ministry spokesperson Ismail Kawosi told NBC News.

The protesters, mostly ethnic minority Hazaras, were marching to demand that their impoverished home province be included in a major new electricity line, according to The Associated Press.

The government had received intelligence that an attack could take place, and had warned the march organizers, a spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told The AP.

Abdullah Abdullah, the country's chief executive, said on twitter that the attacks targeted a demonstration.

"Terrorists must know that such attacks won't stop Afghans from standing together and making Afghanistan a better place," he wrote.

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