Daesh-claimed blasts hit Kabul during presidential inaugurations of Ghani, Abdullah

Daesh claimed responsibility for an attack on Monday near the presidential palace in Afghanistan where rival presidential inaugurations were taking place.

"Caliphate soldiers targeted the inauguration of the tyrant Ashraf Ghani", firing 10 rockets near the presidential palace in Kabul, the extremist group said in a statement released via its usual social media channels.

Two loud blasts were heard earlier in the day as two presidential inaugurations were held. Hundreds of people had assembled at two venues inside the presidential palace complex to watch the swearing-in ceremonies for President Ghani and challenger Abdullah Abdullah, when the blasts were heard, prompting some to flee.

"I have no bulletproof vest on, only my shirt, I will stay even if I have to sacrifice my head," Ghani told the remaining crowd, as sirens sounded overhead.

The bomb blasts take place days after the United States and the Taliban signed a historic peace deal in Doha. 

The bitter feud between President Ashraf Ghani and his former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah has raised fears for Afghanistan´s fragile democracy as the US prepares to leave the country. 

Polls were held in September, but repeated delays and accusations of voter fraud meant that Ghani, the incumbent president, was only declared as winner of a second term in February -- sparking a furious response from Abdullah, who vowed to form his own parallel government.

On Monday Ghani, dressed in traditional Afghan clothing and white turban, arrived at the presidential palace to be sworn in, surrounded by supporters, senior political figures, diplomats and foreign dignitaries including US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

Minutes earlier, in another corner of the sprawling presidential palace compound, a suit-clad Abdullah inaugurated himself as president, vowing to "safeguard the independence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity" of Afghanistan.

As hundreds of people watched Ghani´s ceremony, two loud explosions were heard prompting some people to flee.

An AFP reporter saw many of those who fled return to their seats after Ghani´s refusal to leave the podium prompted cheers and applause.

The game of thrones has strained the patience of the international community and Afghans alike, with Washington warning earlier that the bickering posed a risk to the US withdrawal deal, which requires the Taliban to hold talks with Kabul.

Widening divisions among Afghan politicians would leave the insurgents with the upper hand in those negotiations.

Fight for power

The row has left many Afghans despairing for their country´s future.

"It is impossible to have two presidents in one country," said Ahmad Jawed, 22, who urged the men "to put their personal interests aside and only think of their country instead of fighting for power".

He told AFP that "instead of holding oath-taking ceremonies they should talk to each other to find a solution".

Afghans have shown little enthusiasm for Abdullah, Ghani or the election process in general. Most of them abstained in last year´s lacklustre poll that saw candidates pitch few ideas or policies.

Unemployment is high, and even university graduates like Jawed are struggling to find work, while violence has continued unabated, except for during a week-long partial truce ahead of the US-Taliban deal.

In the deadliest attack to hit Afghanistan in weeks, Daesh gunmen shot dead 32 people and wounded dozens of others at a political rally in Kabul on Friday.

The Taliban, who have slammed the electoral process as "a fake and foreign-run" affair, have also ramped up attacks on Afghan forces and civilians.

The insurgents´ spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP the competing ceremonies showed that "nothing is more important to the slaves than their personal interests".