KABUL: A bomb blast in a busy procuring avenue in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Saturday killed at the very least eight individuals and injured 22, hospital officers and witnesses stated. The bomb exploded in a western district of town the place members of the minority Shi’ite Muslim group commonly meet. Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim militant group, claimed accountability for the assault, the group stated on its Telegram channel. A senior medical officer at a personal hospital stated at the very least eight individuals died and 22 have been wounded. An Inside Ministry spokesman stated an investigation staff was on the blast website to assist the wounded and assess casualties. Video footage posted on-line confirmed ambulances dashing to the scene, which can also be close to bus stations. The assault got here forward of Ashura, a commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, which is marked primarily by Shi’ite Muslims. On Friday, at the very least eight individuals have been killed and 18 injured in a blast in Kabul carried out by Islamic State. Islamic State doesn’t management any territory in Afghanistan however it has sleeper cells which have been attacking non secular minorities within the nation in addition to patrols by the ruling Taliban. The Sunni Muslim Taliban authorities, who took over Afghanistan in August final yr after a two-decade insurgency, have stated they may present extra safety for Shi’ite mosques and different services. Sayed Kazum Hojat, a Shi’ite non secular scholar in Kabul, stated the Taliban authorities had ramped up safety forward of Ashura however ought to enhance vigilance. No up-to-date census information exists, however estimates put the dimensions of the Shi’ite group at between 10-20% of the inhabitants of 39 million, together with Persian-speaking Tajiks and Pashtuns in addition to Hazaras.