An explosion believed to have been caused by a suicide bomber hit near a Shiite mosque in a western neighborhood of the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, killing at least seven and wounded seven others.
“In the explosion seven were martyred and seven were wounded,” interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish wrote on Facebook.
One policeman was among those killed in the attack, which happened near a gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari — a prominent former leader of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban.
Afghan news agency Pajhwok reported at least five killed and 10 wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but it comes amid growing pressure on the Taliban to take up an offer by the Afghan government for direct talks on peace.
“The offer of negotiation is on the table,” UN envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto told a Security Council meeting on Thursday to mark the annual renewal of the U.N. mission to the war-torn country.
