Afghanistan declares day of mourning

The Afghan government declared Sunday as a national mourning day to pay tribute to Afghans killed in terrorist attacks, including in Kabul a day earlier, the Presidential Palace said.

At least 102 people, mostly civilians, were killed and nearly 200 others injured following a string of attacks in Kabul, Nangarhar in the east and Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the south.

The Afghan national flag will fly at half-mast at home and Afghan diplomatic missions abroad, the palace said in a statement, according to Xinhua news agency.

On Saturday, a member of Taliban outfit blew up an ambulance laden with explosives in central Kabul in the deadliest terrorist attack in months.

This followed an assault by Taliban militants on a luxury hotel in Kabul a week earlier that killed 22 people.

The government has also announced Monday as a holiday in Kabul to further help the affected people.

On Tuesday, special prayers will be held in the Presidential Palace and at mosques across the country to pay tribute for the victims, the statement read.

President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, the UN and various countries have denounced the Saturday mayhem.

--IANS

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