Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
January 8, 2016
Afghan police say they have arrested at least 35 people over celebratory gunfire in the capital, Kabul, following the victory of Afghanistan’s national cricket team over Zimbabwe.
Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said on January 8 that police had also seized weapons from those arrested.
The arrests were made after a teenage boy was killed and several others injured by gunfire late on January 6 when thousands of cricket fans across the country celebrated their team’s victory by firing into the air and dancing in the streets.
The death was reported in the southern province of Helmand.
According to local media, the celebratory gunfire sparked anger among many Kabul residents, who complained the heavy firing continued for more than 90 minutes in the city.
Tolonews.com quoted a Kabul resident as saying “people are quite tired of the war; we feel fear whenever there is shooting.”
“When I heard the firing, I thought there was an attack somewhere,” the resident said.
The victory in the five-match series that took place in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, cements the national team’s place in the top 10 one-day sides in the world.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, as well as the country’s cricket board and Kabul police, urged people not to celebrate the victory with gunfire.
With reporting by khaama.com and tolonews.com