Death toll from Kandahar mosque bombings reaches 32, 68 wounded

TIL Desk/World/Kabul/ The death toll from a series of bombings inside a mosque in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city has increased to 32, while 68 others were wounded, state media said.  In a report, Afghan official News Agency said the explosions occurred inside the Bibi Fatima Shia mosque in police district one (PD1) on Friday afternoon when hundreds of worshippers were offering prayers. At least four assailants were reportedly involved in the deadly attacks.

The number of deaths might increase further as many of the injured were in critical condition, it added. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. Witnesses told that three back-to-back explosions hit the mosque, one of the biggest in Kandahar city. The Taliban government has condemned the attack.

Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy minister for the Ministry of Information and Culture, called it a “major crime”. The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan said that those behind the incident should be brought to justice. Friday’s attack came exactly after a week when another Shia mosque in Kunduz city was hit by a suicide bombing which claimed the lives of at least 50 people.