Attack on Shiites kills 20 in Afghanistan

UPDATE: Islamic State (ISIS) on Thursday claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s twin bombings in Kabul. The death toll in the attack climbed to 26 people overnight, the Afghan news site Khaama Press reported.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (9/5/18, 3:11 p.m.): Two bombs killed at least 20 people and wounded 70 in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Wednesday. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials said it looks like the work of the Taliban. Seven policemen and at least two local journalists were killed. Initially, a suicide bomber struck a wrestling training center in western Kabul during a match. As reporters and first responders arrived, a nearby vehicle packed with explosives erupted, bringing the death toll to 20.

Terror incidents are increasing in Afghanistan, and Islamic State (ISIS) has targeted western Kabul in particular because of its Shiite residents. Recently, Taliban attacks have spiked, including a similar two-bomb attack in April and last month’s siege of the city of Ghazni.