A suicide bomb attack in a mosque frequented by a religious minority group in northern Afghanistan has left dozens of people dead, authorities say.
Key points:
- The explosion happened during Friday prayers at a mosque in the city of Kunduz
- Hospital sources and officials from the Taliban have confirmed dozens of deaths
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attack
The blast occurred at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque in Kunduz province during the weekly Friday prayer service, when members of the Shiite religious minority typically come in large numbers for worship.
“This afternoon, an explosion took place in a mosque of our Shiite compatriots … as a result of which a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter, adding that a special unit was arriving at the scene to investigate.
Dost Mohammad Obaida, the deputy police chief for Kunduz province, said that the attack may have been carried out by a suicide bomber who mingled among the worshippers.
A medical source at the Kunduz Provincial Hospital said that 35 dead and more than 55 injured had been taken there, while Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital said 20 were dead and scores more injured.
Matiullah Rohani, director of culture and information in Kunduz for Afghanistan’s new Taliban government, confirmed that the deadly incident was a suicide attack and that 46 people had died and 143 were injured.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
There have been several attacks, including one at a mosque in Kabul, in recent weeks, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State.
Wires