Afghan President condemns Kabul bombing, calls for national day of mourning

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday condemned the terrorist attack on a school in Kabul and called for a national day of mourning in wake of the incident.

At least three explosions took place near Sayed-ul-Shuhada High School in the west of Kabul on Saturday afternoon.

As many as 63 people, all students, were killed in a Kabul school bombing and 150 more were wounded, TOLO News reported citing sources and relatives of victims.

Taking to Twitter, Deputy Interior Minister Sediq Sediqqi said that Ghani has asked the Taliban to abandon the killings of innocent Afghans.

"President Ghani condemns the Kabul terrorist attack with the strongest words, termed a despicable crime against humanity. Calls for a national day of mourning, and asks the Taliban to abandon the killings of innocent Afghans," he said.

However, Taliban has denied any involvement in the attack. "We condemn in strongest terms the killing of civilians in Dashti Barchi, Kabul, as a result of incessant explosions and call for a neutral and transparent investigation," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a tweet.

The attack started with a car bomb explosion and was followed by two rocket attacks.

Earlier, India condemned the "barbarous" terrorist attack on a school in Kabul and said the incident demonstrates the urgent need for dismantling terrorist sanctuaries and for a comprehensive nation-wide ceasefire.

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Sayed al-Shuhada Girls school in Kabul yesterday, which killed more than 50 innocent girl students during the holy month of Ramadan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the young girls who lost their lives in this barbarous attack," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement.

Leading UN officials also condemned the deadly bombing in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, including UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore and Volkan Bozkir, the President of the General Assembly.

The Sayed Ul-Shuhada high school is located in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood in west Kabul, home to many members of the Hazari minority, who are mainly Shia Muslims. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

( With inputs from ANI )