Suicide bomb rocks Afghan education centre; IS claims responsibility

At least 18people were killed and 57 others wounded in a bomb explosion near an education centre in west of Kabul on Saturday, the interior ministry said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for theattack. A suicide bomber "set off towards a gathering... in Kabul, where he detonated his explosives jacket among" the crowd, IS said in a statement posted on its social media channels.

The attack happened late afternoon.The interior ministry said the blast was caused by a suicide bombing, and the target was the Kawsar-e Danish educational centre -- which offers training and courses for students in higher education in a western district of Kabul.

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To this end,Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, tweeted to condemn the dastardly attack.

He wrote, "I strongly condemn today’s coward suicide attack on a learning centre in #Kabul. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at this difficult time. Targeting innocent people and terrorising the population is not the solution to the country’s issues."

An Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility for a similar suicide attack at an education centre in August 2018, in which 34 students were killed. Within Afghanistan, IS has launched large-scale attacks on minority Shiites, Sikhs and Hindus, whom it views as apostates.

Earlier Saturday a roadside bomb killed nine people in eastern Afghanistan after it struck a minivan full of civilians, a local official said.

Ghazni province police spokesman Ahmad Khan Sirat said that a second roadside bomb killed two policemen, after it struck their vehicle that was making its way to the victims of the first explosion.

Sirat added that the bombings had wounded several others, and that the attacks were under investigation.

(with inputs from agencies)