LOC13:09
10:09 GMT
ISLAMABAD, March 21 (KUNA) -- At least six people were killed and 23 others injured in three back to back blasts in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul on Thursday.
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman, Nasrat Rahimi told media that mortar shells were fired as people gathered in the Kart-i-Sakhi locality to mark the holiday of "Norouz", the pre-Islamic Persian New Year.
The official said that three explosions have struck near a Shia (Muslim minority sect) shrine and cemetery in the locality where worshippers had come to mark the holiday of Nauroz.
The police's initial investigation indicated that three explosive devises had been remotely detonated, setting off the successive blasts, the spokesman added.
All routes to the shrine were cordoned off by security forces and a probe into the incident is underway. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but so-called Islamic State or Daesh has targeted the community in the past.
Earlier this month, at least three people lost their lives and 20 others, including a presidential candidate, wounded in a mortar attack at an outdoor memorial service attended by numerous prominent Afghan politicians and officials in Kabul.
The event, marking death anniversary of founder of a political party, was attended by the country's chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, former president Hamid Karzai and candidates for the upcoming presidential election.
The attack comes a week after United States and Taliban negotiators wrapped up their longest round of peace talks in Doha, Qatar with progress made but no agreement on when foreign troops might withdraw.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, after the 16 days of talks aimed at ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan, said "the conditions for peace have improved." (end)
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