(AhlulBayt News Agency) - At least 40 people have been killed and 30 wounded in a suicide attack at a Shia cultural and religious organisation in a western area of the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The interior ministry told the BBC the suicide blast was followed by another two explosions in the area.
An Interior Ministry spokesman told Reuters the blast struck the Afghan Voice news agency.
The head of Afghan Press, the media branch of the Shia organisation, told the BBC that so far dozens of bodies had been carried from the building and officials had reported dozens more being brought to hospitals.
The Taliban issued a statement denying any involvement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
In recent months, so-called Islamic State has been carrying out attacks on Shia targets across the country.
A number of students were reportedly attending a discussion forum with media group members at the offices at the time.
In October, at least 39 people were killed in an attack on a mosque belonging to the Shia minority.
Ten people were also killed in a suicide bomb attack near the compound of Afghanistan's intelligence agency in Kabul on Monday.
ISIS claims
ISIS claimed a suicide bomb attack carried out on Thursday on an office of the Afghan Voice news agency and a neighbouring Shi'ite cultural centre in Kabul, the group's Amaq news agency said in an online statement.
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source : Radio NZ
Thursday
28 December 2017
8:57:04 AM
874581
Updated;
Kabul blast kills, injures 110 at Shia news organisation / ISIS claims responsibility
Multiple blasts near an office of a media outlet in the Afghan capital of Kabul have left at least 40 people dead and 32 others injured, officials say.