Four killed, several wounded in Kabul mosque blast

KABUL: At least four people killed were killed after a blast ripped through a crowd during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kabul today (Friday), Afghanistan’s interior ministry said.

According to a statement by the ministry, “Explosives placed inside the Sher Shah Suri Mosque exploded during Friday prayers,” adding that the mosque’s prayer leader Azizullah Mofleh was among those killed.

Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said that police have cordoned off the area and helped move the wounded to ambulances and nearby hospitals.

“No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but a mosque attack earlier this month was claimed by an ISIL (or ISIS) group affiliate,” the spokesperson added.

The attack comes a week after an attack killed two people, including a popular prayer leader, at a mosque on the edge of Kabul’s heavily fortified green zone.

Afghanistan is juggling multiple crises, with the coronavirus rapidly spreading across the country and continuing violence even as the government and Taliban signal they are getting closer to sitting down for talks.

A ceasefire during last month’s Eid al Fitr holidays also sparked hopes that the two sides may be getting closer to holding negotiations even as a recent uptick in fighting has tempered expectations.