A suicide bomber killed more than 60 people and wounded 200 others during a peaceful demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, a Ministry of Public Health official confirmed.
The incident took place during a march by the country’s minority group, the Hazaras, who were calling for a major electric power line to be routed through their poor region.
Two bombers had attempted to infiltrate the protest at Demazang Square. One of the men was shot by police, but the other managed to detonate himself, killing dozens of people.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Afghan news agency Aamaq.
“Peaceful demonstrations are the right of every citizen of Afghanistan and the government will do everything it can to provide them with security,” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement.
Ghani said the government had received intel that an attack could take place at the protest and had warned organizers, according to the Associated Press.
The president will meet with the organizers Saturday evening and speak to the nation in a televised address afterward.
The attack comes weeks after President Obama announced plans to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by the end of the year by about 3,000, putting the total at 8,400.
