The victims of Tuesday's deadly Kandahar guesthouse attack were all high-ranking officials and diplomats that had gathered to welcome the UAE ambassador Juma Mohammed Abdullah Al Kaabi.

The ambassador was visiting Kandahar to officially open an orphanage when the explosion occurred.

According to a reliable source, those killed are:

•    Abdul Ali Shamsi, Kandahar’s deputy governor

•    Nazir Yama Quraishi, an Afghan diplomat in the United States

•    Shah Ahmad Sayed, Kandahar's foreign affairs chairman

•    Baz Mohammad Jawzjani, an MP

•    Sarajuddin Safari, Herat Senator

In addition, five UAE diplomats were also killed. They are:

•    Mohammed Ali Zainal Al Bastaki

•    Abdullah Mohammed Essa Obaid Al Kaabi

•    Ahmed Rashid Salim Ali Al Mazroui

•    Ahmed Abdul Rahman Ahmad Al Tunaiji

•    Abdul Hamid Sultan Abdullah Ibrahim Al Hammadi
 
Officials said on Wednesday however, that the death toll could rise.

Among the 16 wounded meanwhile were Hamayun Azizi, the provincial governor; the UAE ambassador; the consul-general of the United Arab Emirates; Hashim Karzai, cousin of former president Hamid Karzai; Shekib, head of Kandahar governor's office; Siddiq Momand, a local businessman.

According to a source, the explosives were placed in chairs in the meeting room of the guesthouse where the group of officials and diplomats had gathered.

He also said the target of the attack appeared to have been Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, who was not harmed in the explosion.  

The Taliban has denied involvement and instead said the reason for the incident was because of internal disputes between local Kandahar officials.