The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack in Shia mosque, saying it had remotely detonated a booby-trapped bag when the building was packed with worshippers….reports Asian Lite News
Dozens of people have been killed or injured in four explosions across Afghanistan on Thursday, BBC reported.
At least 31 people were killed, and 87 were wounded, a health official told the BBC.
The first explosion tore through a Shia mosque in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif.
The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had remotely detonated a booby-trapped bag when the building was packed with worshippers.
The group called the attack part of an ongoing global campaign to “avenge” the deaths of one of its former leader and spokesman, BBC reported.
IS has not said it was behind the three other explosions, and it is not clear if they are connected.
The second blast saw a vehicle blown up near a police station in Kunduz, leaving four dead and 18 injured, a police spokesman said.
The BBC has also received reports of a Taliban vehicle being hit by a roadside mine in eastern Nangarhar province, killing four Taliban members and wounding a fifth.
A fourth blast was caused by a mine planted in the Niaz Beyk area of Kabul, which wounded two children.
Local reports and witnesses say the explosion in Mazar-e-Sharif happened at Seh Dokan, one of the biggest mosques used locally by the Shia minority group, BBC reported.
The number of casualties remains fluid at this stage and is liable to change.
Afghanistan’s Shia community is often targeted by Sunni militant groups, including the Islamic State.
The blast is said to have happened while worshippers were preparing to perform prayers. Images shared on social media showed the site littered with broken glass and victims being carried.
Meanwhile, the Taliban condemned the blasts which occurred in different places in Afghanistan including Kabul, Balkh, and Kunduz on Thursday.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the explosions in the provinces of Kabul, Balkh, and Kunduz. These crimes are the work of forces that have nothing in common with Afghan society. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the dead and injured… those responsible for these crimes will soon be found and severely punished,” Mujahid wrote on social media, as per Sputnik.
Around 400 people were attending the prayers in the Si-Dukan Mosque when it was hit by a blast, reported ToloNews citing witnesses.
The responsibility for the attack was claimed by Islamic State (ISIS), also known as Daesh, according to a statement on the group’s Telegram channel.