Afghanistan: Suicide Bomber Kills 26, Injures 18

Afghan officials are reporting that at least 26 people have been killed and 18 wounded in a suspected suicide bomb attack in capital Kabul.

RELATED: 
Taliban Militants Attack Afghan Army Post Killing 18 Soldiers

A suicide attacker approached a shrine on foot and detonated explosives in the crowd, an interior ministry spokesman told BBC.

The report detailed that the devices were set off in a crowd consisting of mainly Shia minorities who gathered to celebrate Nowruz – a holiday which heralds the beginning of the Persian new year.

Nowruz is widely celebrated in Afghanistan but faces strong opposition from some fundamentalist Muslims, who stated that the holiday is un-Islamic, according to Reuters report.

There have been no claims for the attack.

One recent attack in January involved an ambulance packed with explosives killing more than 100 people.

The attack prompted the Afghan government to take steps to increase security presence throughout the city.