Days after the first anniversary of the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, a huge explosion rocked the capital, Kabul. The bomb blast reportedly occurred at a mosque in the city’s 17th security district during evening prayers.
According to reports on the ground, several casualties were reported. “The explosion took place inside the mosque… the explosion has casualties, but the numbers are not yet clear,” Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said, according to the agency.
An NGO providing rescue services to victims reported on Twitter: “#Afghanistan #Kabul: So far 27 people have been admitted to our hospital after the blast in PD17 area. Among them 5 children, including a 7-year-old.”
the imam of the mosque named Amir Mohammad Kabuli was among the people believed to be dead in the blast. His picture is circulating on Afghan social media.
The publication further stated that up to 35 people may have been killed or injured in the blast. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera claimed 20 people were killed in the attack.
According to TOLO News, an Afghan news channel that spoke to Abdul Rahman Nafay, commander of PD13, the explosives for the blast were placed in a motorcycle and
Investigation and rescue services arrived at the scene. However, it is still unclear which terrorist unit carried out the attack.
It is worth noting that a prominent Afghan cleric named Rahimullah Haqqani, who supported women’s education, was also killed in a suicide bombing last week. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack at the time.
“It is a very huge loss for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” a Taliban official said afterward.