80 dead as IS claims deadliest attack in Kabul

KABUL: Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for twin explosions on Saturday that ripped through crowds of Hazara community in Kabul, killing at least 61 people and wounding 207 others in apparently their deadliest attack in the Afghan capital.

The scene of the attack was littered with charred bodies and dismembered limbs, with ambulances struggling to reach the scene as authorities had overnight blocked key intersections with stacked shipping containers to impede movement of the protesters.

“The death toll has jumped to 61 and 207 others have been wounded,” Health Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ismail Kawoosi told AFP, adding that the toll could rise further. The wounded overwhelmed city hospitals, officials said, with reports emerging of blood shortages and urgent appeals for donors circulating on social media.