Suicide attack targets Kabul scholars against terrorism

By Shadi Khan Saif

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

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

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 in the day, 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.

So far no group has claimed the attack, but militants have dubbed such pro-government religious scholars in the past as “puppets”.