KABUL: A powerful explosion has targeted a mosque in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Kunduz on Friday a senior Taliban official and witnesses said, killing at least 50 people.
A medical source at the Kunduz Provincial Hospital said that 35 dead and more than 50 wounded had been taken there, while a worker at a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital reported 15 dead and scores more wounded.
Scores more victims from the minority community were wounded in the blast, which has not been claimed but appears designed to further destabilise Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has confirmed the blast on Twitter, saying, “This afternoon, an explosion took place in a mosque of our Shia compatriots, as a result of which a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded.”
The spokesman confirmed that a special unit was arriving at the scene to investigate. Meanwhile, Interior ministry spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti also confirmed the blast to AFP, without giving details.
Local residents told international news agency AFP the blast hit the mosque during Friday prayers. Witnesses told The Associated Press they were praying when they heard the blast.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack or the number of casualties. There have been several attacks, including one at a mosque in Kabul, in recent weeks, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State.
The attacks have underscored security challenges for the Taliban, which took over the country in August and have since carried out operations against Islamic State cells in Kabul.
