Cricket: Six people injured as Afghans go wild celebrating maiden World Cup victory

Afghan cricket fans watch the live television broadcast of their national cricket team victory in the World Cup 2015 match between Afghanistan and Scotland, in Jalalabad capital of Nangarhar province on Feb 26, 2015. Six people were injured after ecs
Afghan cricket fans watch the live television broadcast of their national cricket team victory in the World Cup 2015 match between Afghanistan and Scotland, in Jalalabad capital of Nangarhar province on Feb 26, 2015. Six people were injured after ecstatic Afghans fired rifles into the air to celebrate their country's maiden cricket win. -- PHOTO: AFP

KABUL (Reuters) - Ecstatic Afghans danced in the streets and fired rifles into the air on Thursday to celebrate their national cricket team's first win in their maiden World Cup, a much-needed piece of good news for the country mired in war with Taleban insurgents.

Six people were injured in celebratory gunfire.

In the capital, Kabul, dozens of jubilant Afghans gathered near the cricket stadium after Afghanistan beat Scotland in a dramatic one-wicket win in their Pool A clash.

"Today is one of the happiest days in my life to see our heroes win their first World Cup match," Ahmad Yaseen, a 19-year-old boy said, while others shouted "long live Afghanistan".

"This means so much for our countrymen who wake up to face bombs, attacks and so many other difficulties."

With most foreign troops withdrawing at the end of last year, Afghanistan's war against Taleban and allied insurgents is dragging on.

Earlier on Thursday, a car bomb killed one person.

In Kabul, cricket fans raced around the city waving Afghan flags from car windows and sounding their horns.

Celebratory gunfire wounded six people in the eastern city of Jalabad following the victory.

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