UPDATE 2- Suicide attack targets Kabul scholars against terrorism

UPDATES WITH TURKEY'S RESPONSE

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - At least 14 people were killed and close to 20 others wounded in a suicide bomb attack targeting a gathering of religious scholars in capital Kabul on Monday, according to police.

“Tight security was in place for the gathering of the Ulemas [religious scholars] in the Loya Jirga [grand gathering] arena when the attacker blew his explosives close to the venue on the main road,” Hashmat Stanikzai, the police spokesman, told Anadolu Agency.

Stanikzai said the lone attacker was on foot when he blew up his explosives after the gathering ended and the scholars were on their way home.

Earlier, he confirmed that seven people were killed in the attack, but the toll was later revised to 14.

Turkey condemned the attack later on Monday.

"We condemn this terrorist attack and wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives, speedy recovery to the wounded, and convey our condolences to the friendly Government and the brotherly people of Afghanistan," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The gathering of up to 2,000 Afghan scholars had issued a religious decree denouncing the attacks in the country.

“Suicide attacks, explosions killing people, causing division, insurgency, different types of corruption, robbery, kidnapping and any type of violence are counted as big sins in Islam and are against the order of the Almighty Allah,” the decree said.

The scholars also renewed their call on the Taliban to shun violence and join the Afghan peace process.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have denied any involvement in this attack.

However, in the past, militants have dubbed such pro-government religious scholars as “puppets”.

It is not clear yet how many among the dead were participants of the gathering of religious scholars.

Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, many provincial heads of the pro-government National Council of Ulama (religious scholars or clergymen) and other pro-government religious figures have been assassinated in Afghanistan.

*Fatih Hafiz Mehmet contributed to this report from Ankara