Kabul blast: 29 dead, 52 injured in bomb attack near Afghan shrine; updates

Kabul had been on alert for attacks over the Nawruz holiday but the bomber was still able to detonate his explosives

A suicide bomber blew himself up near a Shi’ite shrine in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and wounding 18, officials said, as the Afghan capital celebrated the Nawruz holiday marking the start of the Persian new year. The explosion underlined the threat to the city from militant attacks, despite government promises to tighten security in the wake of an attack in January that killed around 100 people.

In Cairo, militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, its Amaq news agency said. An affiliate of the group has claimed previous attacks on Shi’ite targets.

Kabul had