Afghanistan: Mosque explosion kills and injures 'large number of people'

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu 15:20 p.m., October 13, 2023

An explosion occurred at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan during Friday prayers, two witnesses told AFP, one speaking of a "large number" of dead and wounded. The blast, the nature of which was not immediately known, took place as worshippers gathered at the Imam Zaman mosque in Pol-e-Khomri, capital of Baghlan province, the sources said. Several attacks on mosques, particularly during Friday prayers, have taken place in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

"A large number of people killed and injured were taken to hospital"

"I strongly condemn, but at the moment I don't have all the information," deputy government spokesman Bilal Karimi told AFP. "There was a terrible noise," said Abdul Hamid, one of the witnesses. "After the explosion, a large number of people were killed and injured and taken to hospital. The situation is not good at all." Habibullah, another resident of Pol-e-Khomri, said the blast occurred at a "Shiite mosque" at a time when "people were praying".

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The Taliban's return to power ended two decades of war in Afghanistan and led to a significant reduction in violence. But even though the authorities claim to be in control of security in the country, dozens of attacks targeting civilians have been carried out in the past two years in the country. Most were claimed by ISIS-K, the local branch of the Islamic State (IS) group. Hundreds of people have been killed or injured in these attacks, mainly targeting Shia, Sufi and Sikh religious minorities, foreigners or foreign interests, and the Taliban themselves.

Analysts believe that the jihadists of the Islamic State, a Sunni group like the Taliban but with which the latter have deep enmity and ideological differences, remain the main threat to the Kabul regime.