Bomber kills 14 after Afghan clerics outlaw suicide bombings

KABUL: At least 14 people were killed in a suicide bombing yesterday near a gathering of top clerics in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, roughly one hour after the group proclaimed such attacks a sin, police said. The blast in the western part of the city, near universities and a police academy, is the latest demonstration of the militants’ chilling ability to carry out attacks in the heart of Kabul, which is now the deadliest place in the country for civilians.

The bomber detonated at about 11.30 am (0700 GMT) at the gates of Kabul’s Polytechnic University, police and officials said. The Loya Jirga tent where thousands of clerics from across Afghanistan were meeting on the campus. The tent is a huge venue often used for top religious or government gatherings. “Loya Jirga” means “grand assembly” in Pashto. Most of the casualties were civilians.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed it was a suicide attack, and said the bomber had been on foot when he detonated his explosives at the university gate. Police spokesman Stanikzai said the blast was outside the tent. No group has claimed the attack, but the Taleban issued a statement on Twitter saying its fighters had “nothing to do” with the bombing. Both the Taleban and the Islamic State group have stepped up their headline-grabbing assaults on the heavily fortified capital in recent months. —AFP