Blasts hit crowd marking farmers’ day in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan

Multiple blasts on Saturday ripped through a crowd of civilians and security officials in Afghanistan's restive Helmand province, killing three people during a spring festival, in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

Umer Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, told Anadolu Agency the blasts rocked the Farmers' Day celebrations in connection with spring festivities in Lashkargah, the provincial capital.

Nusrat Rahimi, Interior Ministry spokesman, told Anadolu Agency that at least three people were killed and more than 30 injured in the attack. He added that two IEDs hidden at the venue caused the blasts.

Local Shamshad News reported that several top officials were wounded in the blasts, including the provincial governor, deputy governor, and deputy provincial head of the spy agency.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. The insurgents’ spokesman, Qari Yosuf Ahmadi, announced in a statement the attack was aimed at top Afghan officials, and claimed no civilians were harmed in the blasts.

However, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani vehemently condemned this attack in a public place during a public gathering.

“The terrorists are the enemies of peoples’ bright future and development, they are attacking civilian installations, gatherings, and occasions to spread fear, and horror, and to hide their defeats on the battlefront,” Ghani said in a statement issued by the presidency.