According to a spokesperson for the police, an explosion struck a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in northern Afghanistan. While casualties were confirmed, specific details about the incident were not immediately disclosed.
Footage released by the Taliban captured the aftermath at the Pol-e-Khomri mosque in Baghlan’s provincial capital, displaying a scene of debris scattered across a red-carpeted floor, personal items strewn about, and bodies covered with shrouds.
Sher Ahmad Borhani, the spokesman for Baghlan police, indicated that he would provide more information about the blast at a later time.
Though no party has yet claimed responsibility, it is expected that the Islamic State group will be held accountable, given their history of targeting Afghanistan’s Shiite minority in previous large-scale assaults.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the regional branch of the Islamic State, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, has intensified attacks on mosques and minority groups across the nation.
IS, which has been operational in Afghanistan since 2014, represents the primary security threat confronting the country’s current Taliban leadership. In response to this threat, the Taliban initiated a comprehensive crackdown against the militant organization.
