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An Afghan teenager has been killed and several others were injured after cricket fans celebrated victory over Zimbabwe by firing live bullets into the air.
The deadly incident happened in the southern province of Helmand, but celebratory gunfire erupted across the country and caused at least three injuries in the capital Kabul. At least 23 people were arrested by police according to Sediq Sediqi, spokesman for the ministry of interior.
“We are working in all the provinces where firing has taken place and we hope that, with the help of the local people, we will identify those individuals,” he said.
In a video message to the nation, president Ashraf Ghani had asked people not to celebrate the victory with gunfire.
Kabul’s police chief and the head of the Afghan cricket board issued similar appeals.
Afghanistan won 3-2 in the United Arab Emirates at the end of a dramatic five-match series. The victory cements their place in the top 10 one-day sides in the world.
The celebratory gunfire was condemned by the majority of residents in Kabul, with some of them wishing the defeat of the Afghan team instead of witnessing chaos in the city.
“When I heard the firing, I thought that there was an attack some place,” one Kabul resident told TOLO news.
“My baby and myself were woken up by the heavy gunfire – people are quite tired of the war, we feel fear whenever there is shooting,” another resident said.
The brother of one the victims told BBC news: “We were resting at night – suddenly we heard frightening firing. There was lots of firing – we wondered whether a coup was taking place.”
“One of my brothers was on the third floor, my other brother went upstairs to call him to the ground floor then he was hit in the shoulder.” — Daily Mail.
Online Reporter