Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 19 august 2019

Islamic State claims bombing at Kabul wedding that killed 63

By RAHIM FAIEZ be described as a coward-
CARA ANNA ly act of terror," U.N. envoy
Associated Press to Afghanistan Tadamichi
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Yamamoto said.
The suicide bomber stood The explosion came just
in the middle of the danc- ahead of Afghanistan's
ing, clapping crowd as 100th Independence Day
hundreds of Afghan chil- on Monday. The city, long
dren and adults celebrat- familiar with checkpoints
ed a wedding in a joyous and razor wire, has been
release from Kabul's strain under heavier security. A
of war. Then, in a flash, he planned event in Kabul
detonated his explosives- marking the anniversary
filled vest, killing dozens — was postponed because of
and Afghanistan grieved the attack, the president's
again. The local Islamic office said.
State affiliate claimed re- The attack also comes at
sponsibility for the deadli- a greatly uncertain time
est attack in the capital this in Afghanistan as the U.S.
year, with 63 killed and 182 and the Taliban appear to
wounded, while outraged be within days of a deal on
Afghans questioned just ending the war after sever-
how safe they will be un- Afghans pray near the coffins of victims of the Dubai City wedding hall bombing during a mass al rounds of talks this year.
der an approaching deal funeral in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug.18, 2019. Afghanistan's government
between the United States Associated Press has been sidelined in those
and the Taliban to end iban seek an agreement to had been invited, was in the groom was his father's talks as the Taliban refuse
America's longest war. end nearly 18 years of fight- fact a mixed crowd of Shi- cousin. "Everyone was lying to negotiate with what it
Stunned families buried ing. While the U.S. wants ites and Sunnis, said the all around the hall." calls a U.S. puppet.
the dead, some digging Taliban assurances that Af- event hall's owner, Hussain The blast at the wedding The U.S. envoy in the talks,
with their bare hands. One ghanistan will no longer be Ali. hall, known as Dubai City, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on
wounded survivor, Moham- used as a launch pad for Ali's workers were still find- shattered a period of rela- Twitter Sunday that the
mad Aslim, still wore his global terror attacks, there ing body parts, including tive calm in Kabul. peace process needs to
bloodied clothes the day appear to be no guaran- hands, in the shattered On Aug. 7, a Taliban car be accelerated, including
after the blast late Satur- tees of protection for Af- wedding hall, its floor strewn bomber aimed at Afghan holding talks between the
day. He and his friends had ghan civilians. with broken glass, pieces of security forces detonated Taliban and the Afghan
already buried 16 bod- The Taliban, which the U.S. furniture and victims' shoes. his explosives on the same government and other Af-
ies, among them several hopes will help curb the IS "We have informed the po- road, a short drive from the ghans. He said that will put
close relatives, including a affiliate's rise, condemned lice to come and collect hall, killing 14 people and Afghanistan in a "much
7-year-old boy. Saturday's attack as "for- them," he said. wounding 145 — most of stronger position" to defeat
Aslim looked exhausted, bidden and unjustifiable." The bomber detonated his them women, children and the IS affiliate. President
and said he was waiting to The blast took place in a explosives near the stage other civilians. Donald Trump was briefed
bury more. Nearby, a man western Kabul neighbor- where musicians were Kabul's huge, brightly lit on the talks on Friday but
named Amanullah, who hood that is home to many playing and "all the youths, wedding halls are centers few details have emerged.
lost his 14-year-old son, said in the country's minority children and all the peo- of community life in a city Top issues in the talks have
in anguish that the explo- Shiite Hazara community. ple who were there were weary of decades of war, included a U.S. troop with-
sion had mangled the boy's IS, which declared war on killed," said Gul Moham- with thousands of dollars drawal and Taliban guar-
face so badly he could no Afghanistan's Shiites nearly mad, another witness. often spent on a single eve- antees they would not
longer recognize it. two years ago and has Survivors described a pan- ning. allow Afghanistan to be-
"I wish I could find the piec- claimed responsibility for icked scene in the sudden- Messages of shock poured come a launching pad
es of my son's body and put many attacks targeting ly darkened hall as people in on Sunday. "Such acts for global terror attacks. In
them as one piece into the them in the past, said in a screamed and scrambled are beyond condemna- that, the Islamic State af-
grave," he cried. statement that a Pakistani to find loved ones. tion," the European Union filiate's increasingly threat-
The emergence of the Is- IS fighter seeking martyr- "I was with the groom in mission to Afghanistan said. ening presence is the top
lamic State affiliate in re- dom targeted a large Shiite the other room when we "An act of extreme deprav- U.S. concern. Other issues
cent years might be the gathering. heard the blast and then I ity," U.S. Ambassador John include a cease-fire and
greatest threat to Afghan The wedding, at which couldn't find anyone," said Bass said. A deliberate at- intra-Afghan negotiations
civilians as the U.S. and Tal- more than 1,200 people Ahmad Omid, who said tack on civilians "can only on the country's future.q