At least 20 people reported killed, including two journalists, in twin Kabul blasts

Twin bombings at a wrestling training center in a predominately Shia neighborhood of Afghanistan’s capital have killed at least 20 people and wounded 70 others, the Interior Ministry says.

 

Twin bombings at a wrestling training center in a predominately Shia neighborhood of Afghanistan’s capital have killed at least 20 people and wounded 70 others, the Interior Ministry says.

Officials said a suicide bomber on September 5 blew himself up inside the sports hall, which is located in Dasht-e Barchi in western Kabul.

A car bomb went off nearby less than an hour after, as journalists and security forces gathered at the scene.

A reporter and a cameraman from Afghanistan’s largest broadcaster, Tolo News, were among those killed and four other local television crew members were wounded, according to NAI, a group supporting open media in the country.

“An attack on civilians and media workers of the country is an attack on freedom of speech and crime against humanity,” President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement.

At least seven police officers were also among those wounded, according to Kabul’s police chief, General Daud Amin.

The extremist group, the so-called Islamic State, which often targets Afghanistan’s Shi’a community, claimed responsibility for the twin bombings on its affiliated Amaq news agency.