The Taliban has issued a statement saying it was not responsible for the twin attacks apparently targeting Shia Muslims that killed at least 58 people in Afghanistan.

A suspected suicide bomb struck a shrine packed with worshippers in the capital, Kabul, killing at least 54. Another blast hit the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif at about the same time, killing four people. The attacks appear to be of a sectarian nature unprecedented in recent Afghan history, reports bbc.co.uk.