Issued on: 02/09/2022 – 13:44
An explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 18 people, including a prominent cleric, Taliban officials and a local medic said. At least 21 people were injured.
The blast took place at Guzargah Mosque in the western city of Herat during Friday afternoon prayers, the peak of Islamic religious week when places of worship are particularly crowded.
The blast killed Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a prominent cleric known throughout Afghanistan for criticizing the country’s western-backed governments over the past two decades. Ansari was seen as close to the Taliban, who took control of the country a year ago when foreign troops withdrew.
His death was confirmed by the chief Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid.
Local officials in Herat confirmed the death of Mawlawi Mujeeb Rahman Ansari in an explosion at the Guzargah Mosque in Herat, saying the explosion was the result of a suicide bombing at the mosque during Friday prayers. Exact information about victims is not yet available.#TOLOnews pic.twitter.com/5Y4angMydG
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) September 2, 2022
Ambulances transported 18 bodies and 21 injured from the explosion to hospitals in Herat, said Mohammad Daud Mohammadi, an official from the Herat ambulance center.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday’s explosion.
Previous attacks on mosques have been claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, which has carried out a series of attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, as well as Taliban targets.
The Herat mosque attracts followers of Sunni Islam, the dominant stream in Afghanistan that is also followed by the Taliban.
In the year since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Islamic State attacked several mosques during Friday prayers with suicide bombings, focusing on Shia Muslims. Supporters of Islamic State are also Sunnis and consider Shias to be infidels.
(AP)