2011 Afghanistan Ashura bombings
The 2011 Afghanistan Ashura bombings were a pair of bombings in the Afghan capital of Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. The Kabul suicide bombing took place at around noon local time, on the day when Muslims commemorate Ashura, an annual holy day throughout the Muslim world particularly by the Shi'a Muslims.
| 2011 Afghanistan Ashura bombings | |
|---|---|
The Abul Fazl Mosque in 2008 | |
Kabul Mazar-i-Sharif Locations of the incidents | |
| Location | Kabul Mazar-i-Sharif |
| Date | 6 December 2011 12:00 (AFT) |
| Target | Shia |
Attack type | Suicide bombing IED bombing |
| Deaths | 80+ |
| Injured | 160+ |
The first attack took place at the gate of a Shi'a shrine in Kabul and was caused by a suicide bomber. The second incident took place in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where a bomb was affixed to a bicycle that exploded near a mosque shortly after the Kabul blast. The suicide blast in Kabul resulted in the deaths of more than 70 civilians, which included women and children, while the Mazar-i-Sharif blast claimed at least 4 lives. The third was in the southern city of Kandahar, where five people received injuries. The total number of dead in all the attacks reached about 80, while over 160 more were injured.