Suicide bombing at wedding hall kills 63 in Kabul

The Afghan wedding hall where the blast took place

Kabul: Joy and celebration turned into horror and carnage when an Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber targeted a packed Afghan wedding hall, killing at least 63 people in the deadliest attack to rock Kabul in months, officials and witnesses said on Sunday.

The massive blast, which took place late on Saturday in west Kabul, came as Washington and the Taliban finalise a deal to reduce the US military presence in Afghanistan and hopefully build a roadmap to a ceasefire.

The groom recalled greeting smiling guests in the afternoon, before seeing their bodies being carried out hours later. The attack "changed my happiness to sorrow", the young man, who gave his name as Mirwais, told local TV station Tolo News. "My family and my bride are in shock, they cannot even speak. My bride keeps fainting," he said.

A wounded man receives treatment as people gather around him at the Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital. Pics/AFP

"I lost my brother, I lost my friends and my relatives. I will never see happiness in my life again." Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said a suicide bomber carried out the attack, with at least 63 people killed and 182 injured. "Among the wounded are women and children," Rahimi said.

Pak condemns Afghan attack

Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned a deadly suicide attack targeting civilians during a wedding ceremony in Afghanistan. In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan "condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." "We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of innocent victims," it said.

'Peace talks won't get affected'

The Afghan Taliban has said the killing of its chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada's brother in a blast at a mosque in Pakistan will not derail the peace talks with the United States.

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