At Least 16 People Feared Dead As Blast Hits A Shia Mosque In Kandahar During Friday Prayers
Initial reports say that at least 16 people have been killed in a bomb blast in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Friday.
The blast happened at Shiite mosque that was packed with worshippers attending weekly Friday prayers.
At least 40 people are said to be injured in the blast.
An eyewitness told the Associated Press that four suicide bombers attacked the mosque. Two detonated their payloads at a security gate, allowing the other two to run inside and strike the congregation of worshippers.
He said Friday prayers are typically attended by around 500 people.
Investigation underway
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi confirmed the explosion and said an investigation was underway, without providing further details.
An official in the provincial hospital said the facility received seven dead bodies and 13 wounded, adding that the death toll would likely rise.
No groups have so far claimed responsibility for the blast, but the suspicion is on the Islamic State.?
This is the second time in eight days a Shia mosque in Afghanistan has become the tarter of a suicide bombing.
On October 8, a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Kunduz during Friday prayers had claimed at least 45 lives.
The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IS-K) an affiliate of the Islamic State had claimed responsibility for last week's blast.
IS-K and the Taliban in the past had regularly targeted Shia Hazaras and Ahmadiyyas in Afghanistan as they view the sect as apostates deserving of death.
The IS-K which views the Taliban as murtad (disloyal to their religion) has emerged as the biggest threat to the militia that took power in Afghanistan in August.
Ever since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the IS-K has carried out a series of deadly attacks in the country, including the deadly suicide bombing at the international airport in Kabul on August 26 that killed about 170 civilians and 13 US troops.
It was also behind the blast that took place in a crowded place at Eid Gah Mosque in Kabul earlier this month that killed 12 people and injured 32 others.
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