Kabul twin blasts: Death toll rises to 26, at least 91 injured

Afghan wrestlers and residence gather at the entrance gate after a blast that targeted wrestlers during a training session at the Maiwand Club, in Kabul on September 6, 2018. Pic/ AFP

Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Thursday confirmed that the death toll in the twin blasts in Kabul has climbed to 26.

Two blasts rocked Afghanistan's capital on Wednesday. The first explosion, which was a suicide bombing occurred around 6 PM (local time) at the Moalem wrestling club in Kabul's Qala-e-Nazer while the second blast, a car bombing took place about an hour later in the same area.

Deputy spokesperson for the MoI, Nusrat Rahimi, stated that at least 91 others were left wounded in the suicide blast and the consequent car bombing.

The responsibility for the deadly attack in the capital city was claimed by the terror outfit -Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khurasan (ISIS-K), the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State.

In a statement, ISIS-K stated that the suicide blast was carried out by one Sabir al-Khurasani, while the second was executed with an improvised explosive device (IED) inside a vehicle. The group stated that the second attack was targeted at a gathering of people, which included journalists.

Afghanistan's Presidential Palace condemned the attacks in a statement and labelled it a "crime against humanity," while former President Hamid Karzai took to Twitter to condemn the blasts and extend his condolences for the victims.