At least 34 dead in Afghan shrine blasts: Police

Dec 06, 2011 |

Kabul

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At least 34 people were killed in twin shrine bombings in Kabul and the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday, according to police and an AFP photographer.

A massive blast at a shrine in central Kabul where Shiite Muslims had gathered to mark the holy day of Ashura left at least 30 people dead including children, an AFP photographer saw.

A security official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that a suicide bomber had detonated explosives at the gate of the shrine.

Shiites were banned from marking Ashura in public under the Taliban. This year, there are more Ashura monuments around the city than usual including black shrines and flags.

Separately, four people were killed in Mazar-i-Sharif when another blast struck a shrine in the northern city.

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