DEPRESSING

At Least 6 Killed in Kabul Funeral Bombing

At a funeral service for a victim of anti-government protests.

Three separate explosions caused chaos at a funeral in Kabul on Saturday, leaving at least six people dead and more than another 80 injured. The attack came as more than 1,000 mourners were in the midst of saying final prayers for Salem Izidyar, the son of the deputy speaker of the Senate, who was killed on Friday in anti-government protests. A spokesman for the Afghan Health Ministry said six bodies were recovered after the blasts, but local media put the death toll at 12, and the city’s main trauma hospital said 19 people were killed. No group has come forward yet to claim responsibility, but the attack comes after a massive car bomb killed nearly 100 people in the city’s diplomatic area on Wednesday. The worsening security situation prompted a top military commander to caution against holding public gatherings on Friday, warning that more suicide bombings were likely. The latest bombing prompted a brief statement from President Ashraf Ghani, who warned that “the country is under enemy attack.” Photos from the scene showed a massive plume of smoke above the funeral site, with people seen fleeing in different directions. Izidyar’s body was rushed to the grave as ambulances quickly arrived to take away the wounded and newly deceased.