Afghanistan, Kandahar – Officials in Afghanistan are blaming a suicide bomber for an attack during a wedding party which led to the deaths of at least 40 people and injured more than 70.
Relatives and loved ones around the coffins of the victims of the deadly Afghanistan wedding blast - Photo by : Alauddin Khan/Associated Press
Guests at the wedding described seeing a huge fireball when the explosion occurred which ripped through the celebrations in the Arghandab district of southern Kandahar province ate Wednesday.
Though there were no initial suspects of who organized the attack but officials and some guests believe it was the Taliban or a terrorist group which targeted the wedding as some of the guests had links to security officials in the war ridden country.
However, on Thursday Nick Parker, Deputy Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said that they believed the Taliban was behind the attack.
Parker said in a statement “This ruthless violence brought to the Afghan people at what should have been a time for celebration demonstrates the Taliban’s sickening and indiscriminate tactics to try to intimidate the citizens of Afghanistan, however, it only proves they have no regard for human life.”
Victims of the blasts including children covered in blood were seen in a Video footage taken after the explosion at a hospital where the injured were taken. Many of the injured were bandaged but blood was seen on their clothing and parts of their body.
Relatives and loved ones which were unharmed from the blast were seen mourning around the coffins of the guests which died in the “sickening” attack.
Meanwhile the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, who spoke during a press conference at the capital Kabul, with the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron sent his “deepest condolences to the injured and relatives of the dead.”
President Karzai said “I would like to express my deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims through the media, and I condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms.”
According to the intelligence gathered, and the threats of the Taliban, the summer period is expected to be a very difficult period both for the soldiers and citizens of Afghanistan according to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, after new plans of going deeper into Kandahar was revealed.
The latest attack, allegedly by the Taliban, comes within the week where 18 NATO troops have lost their lives due to militant attacks.
