E-Paper
10 killed, 40 injured as blast hits mosque in Afghanistan's Mazar-e-Sharif
Since the Taliban regime took control of Afghanistan, blasts and attacks have become a regular affair, with another incident injuring two children in Kabul earlier in the day.
At least 10 worshippers were killed and another 40 injured in a powerful explosion in a Shia mosque in the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Thursday, news agency AP quoted a hospital official as saying. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement on the group's Telegram channel.
Dr Ghawsuddin Anwari, head of the main hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif, said the dead and wounded were brought in ambulances and private cars. The explosion at the Sai Doken mosque in northern Mazar-e-Sharif occurred as scores of worshippers knelt in prayer as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramzan, the report added.
News agency AFP reported, citing Zabihullah Noorani -- head of Balkh province's information and culture department, that preliminary reports confirm there are at least 25 casualties.
"A blast happened in the district inside a Shia mosque, more than 20 killed and injured," Mohammad Asif Wazeri, the spokesman for the Taliban commander in Mazar-e-Sharif told news agency Reuters.
The incident comes days after three explosions rocked a high school in western Kabul, killing at least six people and injuring children. Many residents in the neighbourhood belong to the Shia Hazara community, an ethnic and religious minority frequently targeted by Sunni militant groups, including Islamic State.
Since the Taliban regime took control of Afghanistan, blasts and attacks have become a regular affair, with another incident injuring two children in Kabul earlier in the day.
"The blast took place in Qambar square of Police District 5 in Kabul city," TOLOnews tweeted, quoting the ministry of interior. The two children were wounded due to the improvised explosive device (IED) blast, local media said.
In an explosion that took place back in March, at least four children had lost their lives in a rocket explosion in Kandahar province's Sha Walikot district.
