Gunmen targeted Shiite pilgrims in Kabul late Tuesday, killing at least 14 people as they gathered to celebrate Ashura, one of the most important festivals on the Shiite calendar, officials said.

The attack in the Afghan capital marked unravelling security as the resurgent Taliban continued to pressure Afghan forces, with hundreds of commandos sent to reinforce the provincial capital Lashkar Gah in the south.

Some 36 people were wounded and at least one attacker killed in the Kabul attack, interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.

Special forces had briefly entered the Karte Sakhi shrine near Kabul University to see if any more gunmen were sheltering inside, with police evacuating people from the area, officials said.

Of the 14 killed, 13 were civilians and one a police officer. Three police were among the wounded, Seddiqi said.

"Police have evacuated dozens of people from the shrine." Police also said two grenades had been detonated during the attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, which President Ashraf Ghani condemned as a "clear sign of a crime against humanity."

Ghani vowed the government would use its "maximum capacity" to provide security during Ashura, which will be celebrated on Wednesday.

The threat of attack targeting Shiites was considered particularly serious during Ashura, and many foreign embassies had restricted their staff's movements until the end of the week in Kabul.

Ashura commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was assassinated in 680 and whose tragic end laid the foundation for the faith.

For Shiites around the world, Ashura is a symbol of the struggle against oppression.

The last attack on the Afghan Shiite minority, on July 23 in Kabul, killed 84 people and left 130 injured. It was claimed by the Islamic State organisation.

Tuesday's attack came as Afghanistan deployed hundreds of commandos backed by NATO air strikes in Lashkar Gah to drive Taliban insurgents from the southern city after their latest attempt to seize the capital of Helmand province.

"More than 300 commandos... have been deployed to the city to prevent Taliban advancement," said Abdul Jabar Qahraman, government special envoy for security in Helmand.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Gunmen walked into a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital on Tuesday and opened fire, authorities said, killing more than a dozen people and wounding many others inside.

Multiple perpetrators were involved in the attack, news reports said, and all had been killed by police.

At least 14 were reported dead and more than two dozen wounded. Some of the injured include police officers.

Witnesses also reported hearing an explosion.

"A number of attackers have targeted people in Karte Sakhi shrine," Kabul Police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said. "Police have evacuated dozens of people from the shrine. A number of civilians and police have been injured."

Voice of America reported that at least three gunmen in Afghan security forces uniforms stormed the shrine and started shooting as hundreds gathered there.

The attack happened as the Muslims celebrated the beginning of Ashura on Tuesday -- the second holiest month after Ramadan. Ashura begins on the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar.

Sunnis ans Shiites celebrate Ashura differently. For Sunnis, it marks Moses being saved from the Egyptians by Allah. For Shiites, it's a more somber occasion that marks the day Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, was murdered in what's now Iraq.</s>A number of gunmen have reportedly opened fire on Ashura observers in the west of Kabul city leaving at least 14 dead and 36 others wonded.

The gunmen attacked the Imam Ali shrine in the vicinity of Karte Sakhi area of the city.

The Ministry of Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqi confirmed the area has been cleared and the last attacker was shot dead.

Sediqi further added that the number of casualties will be released later.

However, a security source confirmed that 14 people were killed in the attack and around 36 others were wounded.

Eyewitnesses and local residents in Karte Sakhi area earlier said sporadic clashes still continue in the area as scores of Afghan forces have arrived to eliminate the attackers.

According to one of the eyewitnesses, the attack was initially launched by gunmen who started shooting the worshipers and at least one of the gunmen detonated his suicide vest.

They are saying another militant has been shot dead by the security forces while one of them is still fighting the security forces.

No group has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

Follow Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Stay updated via RSS</s>KABUL (Reuters) - At least 14 people were killed on Tuesday when a gunman in a police uniform opened fire on worshippers gathered at a shrine in the Afghan capital of Kabul for a Shi’ite holy day, officials said.

Thirteen civilians and one police officer died and 36 people were wounded, said Ministry of Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

Ministry of Public Health officials said at least 43 people had been injured in the incident and had been taken to hospitals in the city for treatment.

The attack began just before 8 p.m. (3:30 p.m. GMT), police said, with witnesses reporting an explosion followed by gunfire.

“People were gathered inside the shrine for worshiping when the attackers arrived, first they shot the policemen at the gate of the shrine and then they entered the compound,” said Sardar Hedayat.

Anguished worshippers carried the bodies of dead and wounded people from the iconic building, which is covered in brilliant blue tiles.

Initial reports put the number of attackers at three, but Sediqqi said police special forces who responded to the scene found and killed only one gunman.

The attacker was dressed in a police uniform, said Jamshid Jan, who witnessed the attack.

An angry crowd surrounded and kicked at the suspected attacker’s dead body, with some vowing to burn his remains, before police intervened.

Security forces at the scene evacuated the shrine as the attack unfolded, said Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi.

The attack occurred at one of Kabul’s largest shrines as Shi’ite Muslims gathered to observe the Ashura holy day, which commemorates the 7th Century death of a grandson of the prophet Mohammed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. A Taliban spokesman denied any involvement.

Afghanistan’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, condemned the shooting and vowed to “hold terrorists (and) their supporters accountable.”

Slideshow (9 Images)

Afghanistan has largely avoided widespread sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims, but Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority has complained of discrimination and has faced increased threats.

At least 84 people were killed and another 130 injured in a suicide attack on a Shi’ite demonstration in July. That attack, during a protest march in Kabul, was claimed by Islamic State.

In 2011, Ashura gatherings were targeted by suicide bombers in Kabul and the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, killing about 80 people altogether.</s>At least 14 people were killed on Tuesday when a gunman in a police uniform opened fire on worshippers gathered at a shrine in the Afghan capital of Kabul for a Shia holy day, officials said.

Thirteen civilians and one police officer died and 36 people were wounded in the attack, said ministry of the interior spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

Ministry of public health officials said at least 43 people had been injured in the incident and had been taken to hospitals in the city for treatment.

The attack began just before 8pm local time, police said, with witnesses reporting an explosion followed by gunfire.

Initial reports put the number of attackers at three, but Mr Sediqqi said police special forces who responded to the scene found and killed only one gunman.

The attacker was dressed in a police uniform, according to a police official.

Security forces at the scene evacuated the shrine as the attack unfolded, said Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi.

The attack occurred at one of Kabul’s largest shrines, as Shia Muslims gathered to observe the Ashura holy day, which commemorates the 7th-century death of a grandson of the prophet Mohamed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. A Taliban spokesman denied any involvement.

Afghanistan has largely avoided widespread sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims, but Afghanistan’s Shia minority has complained of discrimination and has faced increased threats.

At least 84 people were killed and another 130 injured in a suicide attack on a Shia demonstration in Kabul in July.

That attack was claimed by Islamic State.

In 2011, Ashura gatherings were targeted by suicide bombers in Kabul and the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, killing about 80 people altogether.</s>Thirteen civilians and one police officer died, with 36 people wounded, said Ministry of Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

Ministry of Public Health officials said at least 43 people had been injured in the incident and had been taken to hospitals in the city for treatment.

The attack began just before 8 p.m. (3:30 p.m. GMT), police said, with witnesses reporting an explosion followed by gunfire.

Initial reports put the number of attackers at three, but Sediqqi said police special forces who responded to the scene found and killed only one gunman.

Security forces at the scene had evacuated the shrine as the attack unfolded, said Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi.

The attack occurred at one of Kabul's largest shrines as Shi'ite Muslims had gathered to observe the Ashura holy day, which commemorates the 7th Century death of a grandson of the prophet Mohammed.

The attacker was dressed in a police or military uniform, according to a police official.</s>The militants have conducted another attack in Kabul city on Tuesday night after the first coordinated attack left at least 14 dead in a shrine in west of Kabul.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) spokesman, Sediq Sediqi, in a Twitter message, said the second attack was conducted on Charyar mosque located in Karte Char area of the city.

He said the special forces have arrived in the area to repulse the attack by the militants.

“The second terrorist attack in KBL tonight is on Char Yar Mosque in Karte Char, Special forces are there to gun down the attacker/s,” Sediqi said.

There are no reports regarding the casualties as a result of the attack and it is yet not clear if the target of the attack was the mourners of Ashura.

The first attack on Karte Sakhi shrine was launched by a group of three to four militants who started opening fire on worshippers in the shrine, leaving at least 14 people dead.

Several explosions were also heard from the vicinity of the shrine as the militants took the mourners hostage and continued to clash with the security forces for several hours.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) officials said at least 36 peole were also wounded in the attack although the casualties toll could rise.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

Follow Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Stay updated via RSS</s>The attack targeted a crowd of Shia Muslims gathered at a mosque on Tuesday for Ashura.

Islamic State (IS) on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an attack that killed at least 18 worshippers at a shrine in the Afghan capital, raising fears of sectarian violence after a string of attacks on the country’s Shia minority.

The claim of responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, released online, came as the minority gathered to observe Ashura, one of its holiest days, in commemorations subdued because of security fears, as well as the funerals of the dead.

On Wednesday afternoon, a second explosion outside a mosque in northern Afghanistan killed at least 14 people and wounded 24 at a similar Ashura gathering. But there was no immediate claim of responsibility for that blast.

Islamic State also targeted members of Kabul’s Shia community in a suicide bombing in July that killed more than 80 people and wounded 130. The attacker in Kabul, said to be wearing a police uniform, entered the Karte Shakhi mosque on Tuesday night and opened fire on a crowd of Shia Muslims gathered for Ashura, which marks the seventh-century death of a grandson of the prophet Mohammed. In its statement, Islamic State said the attacker detonated a suicide vest after firing all his ammunition, but security forces said they shot the man.

A Reuters video shows the suspected attacker’s body intact, with no sign of an explosive vest.

The dead included four women and two children, said the United Nations, which put the overall death toll at 18 deaths.
A gunman, reportedly wearing an Afghan police uniform, kills at least 14 people and wounds dozens more in the Shiite Karte Sakhi shrine in Kabul on the beginning of Ashura. Police kill the attacker.