Death toll from Afghan wedding blast rises to 80: officials

Published
2
Afghans look at a banner displaying photographs of victims of the Dubai City wedding hall bombing during a memorial service, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. — AP
Afghans look at a banner displaying photographs of victims of the Dubai City wedding hall bombing during a memorial service, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. — AP

The death toll from a suicide bomb attack on a wedding reception in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, has risen to 80, two senior officials said on Wednesday.

Read: 63 killed, 182 wounded in Kabul wedding blast: official

The initial death toll after the Saturday night blast was 63, but some of the wounded had died in hospital, said Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman at the interior ministry.

"Seventeen others have succumbed to their injuries in hospital and over 160 are still being treated either in hospitals or at home," Rahimi said.

Among the 160 people wounded at the wedding blast, many are in critical condition, some not well enough to undergo surgery, said a second senior interior ministry official.

The militant Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Many Afghans have cancelled or scaled back plans for weddings and other festivities in recent days and are demanding that the government tightens security to protect society.

At least 3,812 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the first half of 2019 in the war against militant groups, including a big increase in the number of casualties caused by government and foreign forces, the United Nations said in July.

Police said more than 25 weddings had been postponed in Kabul after the latest suicide attack renewed fears about the threat posed by IS at a time when the United States and the Taliban appear to be nearing a deal on a US troop withdrawal.

"We pay taxes to the government and it is the responsibility of the government to provide us with high security. We have the right to be protected," said Mohammad Nader Qarghaie, head of the union of wedding halls.

The union has more than 100 wedding halls and large banquet rooms as members.

Opinion

Editorial

Muddled hierarchy
15 Nov, 2026

Muddled hierarchy

THE Federal Constitutional Court marked its first anniversary on Friday with a commemorative stamp. Speaking on the...
Growing crisis
15 Nov, 2026

Growing crisis

AN emergency can be judged by the speed with which it draws an effective response. The National Population Council’s...
Organised rackets
15 Nov, 2026

Organised rackets

ON the International Day against Transnational Organised Crime, observed today, Pakistan finds itself in a tight...
Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...