Afghanistan: Many dead in mosque explosion

At least 46 people were killed in an explosion in a mosque in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. Apparently it was a suicide attack: The IS claimed the act for itself.

The terrorist militia “Islamic State” (IS) has claimed the attack on a mosque in the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. The extremists said this through the Telegram communications service. A message from IS spokesman Amak said that a suicide bomber had detonated an explosive vest in the Shiite mosque. The attack was against the Shiite minority of the Hadara. ISIS had already attacked Shiite targets in Afghanistan in the past. IS is hostile to the Taliban ruling in Afghanistan.

At least 46 people were killed in the explosion. 143 were injured, a Taliban spokesman said. It is the worst attack in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power in mid-August.

Taliban with special forces on site

An eyewitness said he prayed at the time of the detonation and saw many dead. Video images showed corpses and debris in the mosque. The Taliban said a “large number” of believers had fallen victim to the explosion. Taliban special forces had arrived at the scene and investigated the incident.

In the past few days there had been an increase in suicide bombings in Afghanistan. Several people were killed at the memorial service for the mother of a senior Taliban official near Kabul on Sunday. The Taliban blamed the hostile terrorist militia IS and attacked suspected IS fighters. In the past, IS also carried out more frequent attacks on facilities belonging to the Shiite minority.

In mid-August, the Taliban militarily regained power in Afghanistan. The army and police fell apart and government officials fled. The Islamists proclaimed a government. This is confronted with numerous problems, including ensuring security in the country. They see themselves challenged by a growing threat from the local branch of the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS).