Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district for the second successive day on Sunday, a defence spokesman said.

The mortar shelling and small arms firing from across the border in Kalal area of Nowshera sector started at around 6.45 pm, prompting strong and effective retaliation by the Indian army, the spokesman said.

He said there was no immediate report of any casualty and the cross-border shelling was going on when last reports were received.

Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa (35), a resident of Dehradun, was killed when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire on Saturday.

The Pakistan army also suffered heavy damage to their posts and casualties in the retaliatory action.

The latest skirmish comes days after Pakistan claimed that its four soldiers were killed in firing by Indian troops on their posts along the LoC on August 15.  -- PTI

The Delhi government on Sunday sounded a flood alert for the city and asked people in low-lying areas to vacate their place as the water level neared warning level in the Yamuna river, officials said.

The Yamuna was flowing at 203.37 metres on Sunday evening and its water level is expected to rise further on Monday as 8.28 lakh cusecs water was released from Haryana's Hathini Kund barrage at 6 pm, an official said.

Haryana released several lakhs of cusecs water in intervals on Sunday. At 5 pm, 8.14 lakh cusecs water was released from the barrage, he said.

"Water level in Yamuna may cross the warning level, which is 204.5 metres, on Monday," the official said.

"People living low-lying areas have been asked to vacate their place," he said.

The Delhi government said preparations are being made to erect tents in nearby areas to accommodate the people living in the low-lying areas.

A meeting of officers was held on Sunday evening to discuss measures to deal with any flood-like situation.

In July last year, traffic movement on Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi was closed for a few days after the water level breached the danger mark.

Yamuna's water level had reached 205.5 metres last year.   -- PTI

Ground Penetrating Radars were put into use on Sunday to locate bodies at Kavalappara in Malappuram and Puthumala in Wayanad, where massive landslides had wiped out two villages, even as the toll in rain battered Kerala climbed to 116 with the retrieval of more bodies.

A team of experts from Hyderabad started the search operations at the two villages with GPR, which will help detect bodies buried under mounds of earth.

A state wide calamity report issued by the government said 116 people have lost their lives in Kerala in the second spell of the South West monsoon rains since August 8 and that 83,043 people are still in 519 relief camps.

As per the update, 53 people have so far lost their lives in Malappuram, 12 in Wayanad and 17 in Kozhikode, thethree northern districts, where 26 people are still missing.

The report also said that 1,204 houses were fully damaged in the monsoon. Meanwhile, over one lakh volunteers have enrolled for cleaning work in flood-hit villages in the northern districts. Kerala's all-women self-help group Kudumbashree has engaged over 50,000 members for the purpose.

"Volunteers from various organisations have identified over 15,000 spots in Wayanad. They are moving in batches and have started the cleaning mission.

"They will remove the mud and slush from the houses, clean wells and the locality," an official told PTI.

The volunteers will clean the wells using 'super chlorination' method and the state Suchitwa Mission has arranged material and equipment for the purposes, the official said.

State ministersKadannappalli Ramachandran and T P Ramakrishnan are coordinating the cleaning mission.

Thousands of students, from the Students' Federation of India (SFI), National Cadets Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS) have joined the cleaning initiative.

A health department official said vaccines have been provided for volunteers to prevent leptospirosis,also known as rat fever.

"We have provided the volunteers gumboots and gloves," the official said.

As the rains receded, people have started returning to their homes after cleaning the accumulated mud and filth.

Good samaritans from neighbouring districts are also lending a helping hand in the clean up operations.  -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that the politics of appeasement, which led to the Partition, was the reason for the continuance of the 'evil practice' of triple talaq for so long.

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Shah defended the law criminalising triple talaq, saying it is going to benefit Muslims, and not other communities.

Coming down heavily on the Congress, he said the party has 'no shame' and continues to oppose the law on triple talaq.

"The election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2014 was the beginning of the end of politics of appeasement and the 2019 mandate is to end it forever," said Shah, the Bharatiya Janata Party president.

He was speaking on 'Abolition of Triple Talaq: Correcting a Historic Wrong' at an event organised by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation in New Delhi.

The legislation to criminalise instant triple talaq was passed by Parliament in the last session.   -- PTI

A body representing Pakistani employers has appealed to the government to allow in local markets those Indian goods that have already arrived at the country's airports or seaports, according to a media report.

Pakistan suspended its trade relations with India in retaliation against New Delhi's decision to revoke Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Employers' Federation of Pakistan (EFP), while supporting the decision to suspend trade with India, has appealed to the government that Indian goods that have already reached airports or seaports should be allowed in local markets, Dawn newspaper reported.

The EFP also feared that life-saving drugs, which are imported from India as raw material or in finished form, may vanish from the market and requested to relax the rules until some alternative source for the import is arranged, the report said.

EFP vice president Zaki Ahmed Khan said in a statement on Saturday that the manufacturers of Pakistan fully supported the decision of the government to suspend all trade with India.

"This has sent a strong and favourable message to the business community to source their imports and exports from countries that are not inimical to the sovereignty of Pakistan," he said.

He said that APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients), imported from India to manufacture life-saving products by the pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan, should be allowed on the condition that the pharmaceutical companies would immediately develop alternative sources of these APIs within a reasonable and mutually agreed upon time with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.

Pakistani importers also have sought clarity on the fate of shipments en route from India via the Wagah/Atari joint check post, the report said.

In a letter sent to the DG Trade Policy at the Commerce Ministry, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has asked him to save the importers from losses and to also allow them to bring via sea their consignments that were already on way through the railway.  -- PTI

The Afghan Taliban has said the killing of its chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada's brother in a blast at a mosque in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province will not derail the peace talks with the US.

The brother of the Taliban chief was among seven people killed when a powerful bomb ripped through the mosque during Friday prayers in Kuchlak area, 25-kilometre from Quetta.

22 people were injured in the attack. Nobody took responsibility of the attack and Pakistan officials only said that an improvised explosive device (IED) was planted inside the building.

The IED contained around eight to 10 kilograms of explosives which was planted inside the mosque, police said.

The Afghan Taliban confirmed on Saturday that Hafiz Ahmadullah, younger brother of Haibatullah, was killed in the Friday attack, asserting that peace talks with the United States would not be affected in its wake.

A senior Taliban source said that Ahmadullah was the imam of the mosque.

According to information available, the Taliban chief was not present at the mosque when the bomb was set off.

His brother, who was leading the Friday prayers, was killed and his son injured.

A local police official said the attack may have been an attempt to target the Afghan Taliban leader.

The killing of the Taliban leader's brother came at a crucial time when talks between the militant group and the US have entered their final phase.

Pakistan is a key player in the talks between the Taliban and the US in an effort to end the war in Afghanistan and allow withdrawal of American troops.

The US wants to withdraw thousands of troops and turn the page on its longest ever war.   -- PTI

A journalist and his brother were shot dead during a fight between two families in Madhonagar area in Saharanpur on Sunday, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Ashish, who worked for a Hindi daily, and his brother Ashutosh.

Superintendent of Police (City) Vineet Bhatnagar said, "As per the information we have, two families living opposite each other got involved in a quarrel regarding throwing of cow dung.

"After a while, they started fighting with sticks. Some person believed to be from the other family shot Ashish and his brother."

He said, "Both were admitted to a hospital where they succumbed to injuries. We are conducting further investigation in the matter."

According to a relative of the victims, the accused belong to a family that runs a liquor business.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.  -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his two-day state visit to Bhutan.

External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar receives him at the airport.  -- ANI

The Jammu and Kashmir police is maintaining pressure on terrorists to isolate them so that they cannot mislead the general public, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh has said.

In an interview with PTI, Singh, who has been leading the force since last year, thanked the people of the state for their cooperation in maintaining law and order.

"While the security teams comprising police, para-military forces and army have done a splendid job, one should not neglect the cooperation extended by people of the state," he said.

Security presence in the state has been stepped up and stringent restrictions put in place since August 5 when the Centre scrapped provisions of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and also divided the state into two Union Territories.

Singh, a 1987-batch IPS officer, refused to comment on the Constitutional changes made in the state, but said, "I believe an era of positive development has been ushered in the state. And people should understand good things about it."

He said as a police force head it was his duty to ensure that a handful of terrorists, who are mainly from Pakistan, are not allowed to misguide the general public in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Our counterinsurgency unit is maintaining pressure to keep these terrorists at bay and definitely we have been able to do it," he said.

Singh, who is busy talking to district superintendents of police and giving them a pep-talks on phone, says the force is following a two-pronged strategy to maintain peace and tranquillity in the state.

"While the counterinsurgency grid is maintaining pressure on terrorists, the remaining security forces are ensuring that law and order is under control."

Security forces would not allow either of the situation to get out hand, he said.

He acknowledged that there have been minor incidents in past 13 days 'but they were controlled locally by police officials. There were injuries to some civilians and policemen but they were discharged after first aid'.  -- Sumir Kaul/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday left for home after concluding his two-day state visit to Bhutan during which he held talks with the country's leaders to further deepen the bilateral ties.

'Thank you Bhutan! It was a memorable visit. The affection I have received from the people of this wonderful nation can never be forgotten. There were many programmes which I had the honour of taking part in. The outcomes of the visit will enhance bilateral ties,' Modi said just before his departure from Bhutan.

Modi arrived in Bhutan on Saturday. This was his second visit to the country and the first since his re-election in May this year.

During his stay in Thimphu, Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering on Saturday and they discussed steps to further expand the bilateral partnership across several sectors.

The two countries inked 10 MoUs in the fields of space research, aviation, IT, power and education to infuse new energy in their ties.

Prime Minister Modi also called on Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Saturday and exchanged views on taking the 'exemplary' India-Bhutan partnership forward.

Later, he met the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk and expressed appreciation for his continued guidance on strengthening the unique India-Bhutan relationship.

On Sunday, the prime minister addressed students of the prestigious Royal University of Bhutan and asked them to work hard and take the Himalayan nation to great heights.

He said no two countries in the world understood each other so well or share so much as India and Bhutan that are 'natural partners' in bringing prosperity to their peoples.

Prime Minister Modi met with Bhutan's Leader of Opposition Pema Gyamtsho on Sunday and the two leaders discussed the issues of bilateral interests.

He also paid his respects at the National Memorial Chorten, a revered monument honouring the late Third Druk Gyalpo.

The visit concluded with a lunch hosted the King of Bhutan in honour of prime minister Modi.   -- PTI

Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha on Sunday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address as 'extremely courageous' and 'thought-provoking'.

Sinha, who crossed over to the Congress after the Bharatiya Janata Party refused him a ticket from Bihar's Patna Sahib, profusely praised Modi for the announcement creating the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

'Since I am famous or infamous for calling a spade a spade, I must admit here, Hon'ble PM @narendermodi @PMOIndia that your speech from the #RedFort on 15th Aug'19 was extremely courageous, well researched and thought-provoking. Superb delivery of the key problems facing the country,' Sinha said in a tweet.

The actor-turned-politician tweeted that Modi certainly deserved to be applauded and appreciated as he 'hit the nail right on the head, by speaking out on vital issues with a plan for a forward-looking India'.

'#Water crisis looming large - soon in a couple of years, many prominent cities would go dry. Next, the #PopulationExplosion is gigantic - it needs to be handled very carefully soon, sooner the better, Enhancing #domestictourism, several other key issues. Many before have spoken but didn't go further with any solid actions or proper road map. Bravo! Kudos! You, certainly deserve to be applauded and appreciated as you have hit the nail right on the head, by speaking out on vital issues with a plan for a forward-looking India,' Sinha wrote on Twitter, a platform extensively used by him to attack the BJP and Modi.

'You definitely touched an emotional chord with the big move, of #CDS to be appointed (one leader on top of Army, Navy and Air Force). This powerful command can make a difference. You being a friend and guide of the nation, have chosen the right day, time and platform but we are waiting for the escalated, wider, detailed planning and appropriate road map. I humbly suggest - act now, before it is too late, as the nation stands firmly with you,' he further said.

Sinha also expressed a wish to speak to the prime minister over linking of rivers which he said was a dream of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

'I could also talk to you if you have the time and inclination on connecting the rivers, a dream of our beloved former PM #AtalBihariVajpayee, like the 'Sagar Mala' project. This would be tremendously beneficial in controlling the floods and drought situation of the country,' read his tweet.

In the last tweet, Sinha made another 'polite request' and said 'if this project could be announced next year on Indepence Day, it would be like 'Sone pe Suhaga'.'

'I would also be happy to contribute to this constructive and positive approach. Jai Hind,' he concluded.

Time and again Sinha had dubbed himself as a rebel during his last days in the BJP.   -- ANI

At least eight people were killed and nine others injured in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, officials said.

Landslides hit a spot near the RTO office in Shimla, leaving three persons dead.

One person is still trapped under the debris, police said.

In another incident, a labourer was killed as the wall of a house collapsed here following heavy rains early on Sunday, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Shah Alam, who hailed from Bihar's Kishanganj district.

In another incident, a man was killed after a landslide hit the national highway near Hatkoti Kenchi in Shimla's Rohru sub division.

In Kullu, a man was washed away in Sajwar Nullah when locals were trying to rescue him.

The deceased has been identified as Chooni Lal.

In Chamba district, two persons are trapped in the rubble after a house collapsed following heavy rains.

The house collapsed in Lona Gram Panchayat at 3.30 am, trapping a 70-year-old and a 7-year-old.

In Narkand area of Shimla district, two Nepalese died and three were injured after when a tree fell on their house.   -- PTI

Train services between Shimla and Kalka were disrupted on Sunday after multiple landslides blocked the rail route in Himachal Pradesh, a rail official said.

Landslides occurred at four-five places on the Shimla-Kalka track following heavy rains in the region, he added.

A Shimla-bound train from Kalka had started at 3 am but had to be terminated midway at Dharampur Railway Station at 5 am due to landslides, he added.

Subsequently it was decided not to run any train till the clearance of the track, he added.

Train services on the Shimla-Kalka route are likely to resume on Monday after the track is cleared.  -- PTI

IMAGE: A portion of the bridge over Beas river in Akhara Bazaar area of Kullu town collapses after the water level in the river increases due to heavy rainfall in the region. Photograph: ANI

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday visited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to inquire about the health condition of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley.

The 66-year-old was admitted in the hospital here on August 9 after he complained of breathlessness.

Leaders from several political parties have visited the former Union minister at AIIMS.

On Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind, Union ministers Amit Shah, Harsh Vardhan and Ashwini Choubey, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had gone to the hospital to check about the condition of the BJP leader.

Soon after Jaitley was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of AIIMS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had paid a visit to the hospital.

In a late-night statement on August 9, AIIMS had said Jaitley is undergoing treatment under the supervision of a multi-disciplinary team of doctors.

Since then, the hospital has not issued any bulletin on his health.  -- ANI

A day after he received the 'Best Constable' award on 73rd Independence Day, Palle Thirupathi Reddy was allegedly caught red-handed by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 17,000.

According to ACB officials, Reddy, Police Constable, I-Town Police Station, Mahabubnagar district, was caught red-handed on August 16 at the premises of police station, when he demanded and accepted bribe of Rs 17,000 from a complainant, named M Ramesh for doing an official favour that is not to implicate Ramesh by booking false case against him and also threatened him to seize his tractor.

The bribe amount was recovered from the accused officer and his both hands tested positive in the chemical test.

The accused officer has been arrested and produced in the ACB court.

Reddy was awarded 'Best Constable' officer of the Mahabubnagar district by the Telangana government and the Telangana Excise Minister Srinivas Goud handed over a certificate to him on Independence Day.  -- ANI

Days after charges of phone tapping during the previous coalition government headed by Janata Dal-Secular surfaced, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said he will order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations citing demands by several Congress leaders.

"On the telephone tapping issue. Several leaders, including Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, have said it should be probed and truth should come out, so I have decided to order a CBI probe. Tomorrow itself I will order the probe," Yediyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru.

He also said it was the expectation of the people of the state that a detailed inquiry should be made and the culprits punished.

Yediyurappa's announcement comes amid signs that the scandal is gaining political steam ever since disqualified JD-S MLA A H Vishwanath, who served as the JD-S state president and turned rebel later, last week dropped the political bomb, accusing the H D Kumarswamy government of tapping phones and spying on more than 300 leaders, including him.

Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, M Mallikarjuna Kharge and home minister in the alliance government M B Patil, have sought a probe while another key party leader and former minister D K Shivakumar has rejected the snooping charges and appeared to side with Kumaraswamy.

According to reports, phones of those close to Siddaramaiah, who was the then coalition coordination committee chief, had come under the watch of the government.

Vishwanath had also claimed snooping would not have happened without the knowledge of the then Chief Minister as the intelligence wing was under his control.

Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, have directly accused Kumaraswamy of being behind the episode to save his government which was then rocked by dissidence within.

The coalition government ultimately collapsed last month with the chief minister losing the trust vote in the assembly. Kumaraswamy on his part has denied the allegations.

'There was no need for me to remain in and save the chair (of CM) by tapping phones. Allegations made against me by some people in this matter is far from truth,' he had tweeted.

The controversy surfaced as Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao earlier this month ordered an inquiry into phone tapping incident against the backdrop of a recently leaked telephone conversation purportedly between him and someone in Delhi lobbying on his behalf with some politicians for the post he is occupying now.   -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses students at Royal University of Bhutan, in Thimpu:

"Anyone visiting Bhutan is struck as much by its natural beauty as by the warmth and simplicity of its people," the PM said in his opening remarks.

"Bhutan has understood the spirit of harmony, togetherness and compassion. This very spirit radiated from the adorable children who lined the streets to welcome me yesterday. I will always remember their smiles," Modi said.

"It is natural that the people of Bhutan and India experience great attachment to each other, as we are close not just due to our geography. Our history, culture and spiritual traditions have created unique and deep bonds between our peoples and nations," he said.

"India is home to world's largest healthcare scheme, Ayushman Bharat, which offers health assurance to 500 million Indians. India has among the cheapest data connectivity in the world, which is directly and indirectly empowering millions," the PM said.

"Much of what I wrote in my book Exam Warriors is influenced by teachings of Lord Buddha, especially the importance of positivity, overcoming fear and living in oneness, be it with the present moment or with mother nature," he said.

"It is a matter of great happiness that young Bhutanese scientists will travel to India to work on designing and launching Bhutan's own small satellite. I hope that someday soon, many of you will be scientists, engineers and innovators," Modi told the students.

"As Bhutan soars high in its endeavours, your 1.3 billion Indian friends will not just look on and cheer you with pride and happiness. They will partner you, share with you and learn from you," he said.

Going beyond the traditional sectors of cooperation, we are seeking to cooperate extensively in new frontiers, from schools to space, digital payments to disaster management.

"The world today offers more opportunities than ever before. You have the power and potential to do extraordinary things, which will impact generations to come. Find your real calling and pursue it with full passion, Modi told the students.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP and artiste Hans Raj Hans on Saturday said that Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) should be renamed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'MNU'.

The BJP North West Delhi legislator, who was at the University to perform at an event 'Ek shaam shaheedon ke naam', also hit out at the Nehru-Gandhi family while speaking about the Kashmir issue.

"We are facing the brunt of the mistakes committed by our elders," he said.

"Pray that we all live in peace and no bombing takes place. I would say we should rename JNU after Prime Minister Narendra Modi as MNU. Something should be named after Modi ji," said Hans Raj.

After the event, the BJP lawmaker spoke to media persons and said that it was Jawaharlal Nehru who committed mistakes in the past (in reference to Jammu and Kashmir).

When asked about his comments on renaming the University, he said: "I came to JNU for the first time... have heard a lot about JNU but now changes have come due to the efforts made by the Modi government. Prime Minister Modi has done a lot for the nation and it is because of his work that I said JNU should be renamed as 'Modi Narendra University'.

"BJP legislator Manoj Tiwari, who performed along with Hans Raj at the event organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), echoed similar sentiments.

"We are seeing a positive JNU here. In the past some have given slogans of 'Bharat tere tukde honge' in the University but this institution has grown and changed with time. We heard students raising slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'," said Tiwari.

On Hans Raj's statement on renaming JNU, he said at times we say things out of excitement but that does not mean one would follow it.

"Hans Raj ji says what he feels. He said so because he admires Modi ji," said Tiwari.

The Delhi BJP chief further said that India will take steps to take back Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"I am not an exception, every child of the nation is saying that Pakistan occupied Kashmir is a part of India. We will take steps to take it back," he asserted. -- ANI

"Hello! This is Chandrayaan 2 with a special update. I wanted to let everyone back home know that it has been an amazing journey for me so far and I am on course to land on the lunar south polar region on 7th September. To know where I am and what I'm doing, stay tuned," read a post on the official Twitter handle of ISRO.

Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of the moon where no mission has ever set foot. 

The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover together referred to as "composite body".

The spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. 

This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon. 

The plane crashed into the house located in the state's Dutchess County on Saturday at 4:29 p.m. (20:29 GMT), Sputnik reported citing local media reports.

Details regarding the passengers are still unknown, the FAA said.

The FAA said it will initiate an investigation into what caused the crash.

As per the Delhi Fire Services and AIIMS fire division, the fire at the teaching block of AIIMS, New Delhi, has been put off completely. "There has been no loss or damage to life," read a statement from the hospital.

"Dr Harsh Vardhan, hon'ble minister of health and family welfare, Government of India, and president, AIIMS, New Delhi. personally monitored the efforts on-site towards extinguishing the fire and also regarding patient care," the statement added.

Delhi Fire Service director Vipin Kental said: "The fire is completely under control. Cooling operation is underway and will continue for some more time, the staff will be here to monitor that. No casualty has been reported. The patients, who were temporarily transferred from AB wing, are expected to be shifted back by today."

The minister also discussed the need to conduct a special fire audit. "AIIMS, New Delhi, regularly does this exercise, however, a more comprehensive special audit will be conducted," the statement read.

A fire broke out in the PC Block of AIIMS on Saturday. A total of 34 fire tenders were pressed into service.The fire broke out late afternoon in the hospital and caused extensive damages to the first, second and third floors of the PC Block.

The Afghan interior ministry confirmed the attack and said the explosion took place at around 10:40 pm, reported Tolo news. 

According to an Afghan-based journalist Bilal Sarwary, it was a Hazara wedding which was targeted by a suicide bomber.

Sources and eyewitnesses said that the hall was packed with guests when the explosion rattled the vicinity. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.

"It was a suicide attack. The attacker detonated his explosives in the wedding hall for men. There are casualties and fatalities in big numbers,' multiple guests at the wedding that was attacked tonight in Kabul's PD6 tells me," Sarwary tweeted.

So far no group has taken the responsibility for the attack.

Further details are awaited.