Twin explosions tore through a demonstration by members of Afghanistan's mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority in Kabul, killing at least 80 people and wounding more than 230 in a suicide attack claimed by Islamic State.
Graphic television footage from the site of the attack showed many dead bodies lying on the bloodied road, close to where thousands of Hazara had been demonstrating over the route of a planned multimillion dollar power line.
Officials in Afghanistan's main intelligence agency, the National Directorate for Security (NDS), said the attack was planned by an individual named Abu Ali, an Islamic State militant they said was based in Achin district in Nangarhar.
They said three bombers were involved in the attack.
The attack was the worst in months and represents a major escalation for IS in the region, which has hitherto been largely confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The explicit reference to the Hazara's Shia religious affiliation also represents a menacing departure for Afghanistan, where the bloody rivalry between Sunni and Shia typical of Iraq has been relatively rare, despite decades of war.
The Persian-speaking Hazara, estimated to make up about nine per cent of the population, are Afghanistan's third-largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination and thousands were killed under Taliban rule.
The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, condemned the attacks, saying it amounted to a war crime.
"This incident is an outrage that cannot be justified," he said.
"It is an attempt to spread terror amongst civilians and stifle the freedoms that Afghans have sacrificed so much to obtain."
Taliban denies involvement
The Taliban, a fierce enemy of Islamic State, had issued a statement denying any involvement.
"We would never take part in any incident that divides the Afghan people," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
The attack succeeded despite tight security which saw much of the city centre sealed off with stacks of shipping containers and other obstacles and helicopters patrolling overhead.
It was the deadliest bombing seen in Kabul since April, when more than 60 people were killed in an attack on offices used by the security services.
That was considered the worst single incident of its kind in Kabul since 2011.
Hazaras protest against transmission line
Saturday's demonstrators had been demanding the 500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul be rerouted through two provinces with large Hazara populations, an option the government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years.
But the resentment felt by many Hazaras runs deeper than simple questions of energy supply.
In November, thousands of Hazara marched through Kabul to protest at government inaction after seven members of their community were beheaded by Islamist militants and several protesters briefly tried to force their way into the presidential palace.
The protests by a group whose leaders include members of the national unity government have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani, who has faced growing opposition from both inside and outside the government.
They have also risked exacerbating ethnic tensions with other groups and provinces the government says would have to wait up to three years for power if the route were changed.
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