Officials said a suicide bomber strapped with explosives had walked into Wednesday’s wedding party — which relatives said was attended by members of an anti-Taliban militia — and unleashed a deadly hail of ball bearings.
The Taliban, however, denied responsibility and blamed a Nato airstrike for the deaths.
More than 70 people were wounded when the explosion ripped through the celebrations in Arghandab district, 20 kilometres north of Kandahar city, local officials said. Most of the victims were male as the explosion occurred in an area of the wedding festivities reserved for men, they said.
The groom’s brother, Mohammad Zanif, told AFP: “My brother was wounded. We don’t know what happened. There was an enormous explosion and as a result everyone there was either killed or injured.”
The groom is a policeman and his colleagues were attending the wedding, Kandahar governor Turiyalai Wisa told a news conference. “A suicide attack was the cause of this bloody incident. So far we have been able to confirm 40 people killed and another 78 wounded, which includes 14 children. Our investigation is ongoing and the casualty toll might rise. Most of the wounded are in critical condition, and some of them unfortunately may lose their lives,” the provincial governor said.
Nato Lieutenant General Nick Parker blamed the Taliban over the wedding party attack, saying the “ruthless violence” demonstrated the militia’s “sickening and indiscriminate tactics.”
But the Taliban blamed the bloodshed on Nato bombing and offered condolences.
Elsewhere, in the eastern province of Khost, Afghan army General Nawab told AFP that overnight operations killed 18 Taliban militants.
Source: agencies