Gunmen kill 18 Muslims at Kabul site

A two-hour siege followed the massacre as the attackers exchanged gunfire with security forces

Grieving worshippers on Wednesday described desperately trying to shelter their children against a hail of gunfire in Kabul that killed at least 18 people gathering to mark Ashura, one of the most important festivals of the Shiite calendar.

Officials said they were still confirming casualties on Wednesday as witnesses described gunmen firing "indiscriminately" on men, women and children as they tried to flee.