Illustrative image.
On October 8, a large blast rocked a crowded Shiite mosque in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz during Friday prayers.
The blast was reportedly caused by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt among worshippers inside the mosque.
“Today in the afternoon, in the Khanabad Bandar area in the capital city of Kunduz, a blast targeted a mosque belonging to our Shia citizens and martyred and wounded a number of our compatriots,” Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban and Deputy Minister of Information and Culture in the group’s Interim Government, wrote on Twitter.
According to several news sources, more than 50 people from the minority Shia Muslim community in Kunuz were killed in the blast. Dozens others were wounded. The death toll may raise in the upcoming few hours.
Blast, which appears to be a suicide blast (PBIED), reportedly took place inside the Shi’ite mosque during Friday prayers. #Kunduz
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) October 8, 2021
Another video from near the mosque blast site in Kunduz.
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) October 8, 2021
Another video from inside the mosque in Kunduz following today’s blast.
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) October 8, 2021
IMAGE from mosque in Kunduz following today’s attack. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/lBPRl7uipJ
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) October 8, 2021
This was the second deadliest attack to take place in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the rule of the country on August 15.
The deadliest attack was the August 26 Kabul airport suicide bombing. The attack, which was carried out by ISIS-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), claimed the lives of 182 people including 13 US service members who were securing the evacuation of US citizens, Western nationals and local collaborators from Afghanistan.
No group has claimed responsibility for the Kunduz mosque attack, yet. ISIS-K remains the main suspect. The terrorist group has been actively working to disturb the rule of the Taliban.
