According to officials, a massive explosion has destroyed a mosque in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Even though precise numbers have not yet been determined, it is believed that the blast happened during evening prayers. Local media reported that the northwest of the city had seen an explosion, according to Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Kabul police. The imam of the Siddiqi mosque is reportedly one of the victims.
The attack, which occurred a week after a prominent pro-Taliban preacher was killed in a suicide bombing explosion also in Kabul, is still under investigation. The prior incident was blamed on the Islamic State (IS) organization. The incident is taking place in a neighborhood in northern Kabul, the official said. Three deaths have been reported thus far, according to the Italian NGO Emergency, which has operations in Kabul.
The NGO also stated that it had received 27 injured victims from the explosion, including kids. Five kids, including a seven-year-old, were listed as being among them. Up to 35 individuals may have been injured or killed, a Taliban intelligence official told the news agency Reuters, and the death toll could grow. Witnesses claimed to have heard a loud explosion that broke windows in surrounding buildings.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the explosion happened at a mosque in Kabul’s Khair Khana neighborhood when people were inside for prayer. Investigations are ongoing, and intelligence officers were present at the explosion location, they stated. The Taliban, according to a spokesman, vehemently condemned the assault.
