Held Commemoration For The Late Mother Of Taliban's Official, Kabul Mosque Hit By Explosion, Eight Killed

JAKARTA - An explosion killed several civilians at a mosque in Kabul, where people were holding prayers for the mother of the Taliban spokesman who died last week, officials within the group said, with gunfire then following on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

No party has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack, which appears to be the most serious attack in the Afghan capital since the US troop withdrawal in August.

Citing Reuters Oct. 4, several other civilians were injured in the explosion on the main road near the entrance to the Eidgah mosque, officials said. The Taliban commander was seen donating blood at a hospital treating the victims. Media access is strictly controlled.

The attack underscores the increasing challenges facing the Taliban, as they grapple to adapt to the government and prevent a complete collapse of Afghanistan's war-torn economy, with millions of people at risk of starvation as winter approaches.

Local affiliates of ISIS, which has been battling the Taliban for years, claim to have carried out attacks on Taliban fighters, although officials from the new government have dismissed threats from the group.

Hours after Sunday's explosion, local media reported intense gunfire in Karezimir, an area north of the city. Residents contacted confirmed they had heard explosions and gunfire. Reuters was not immediately able to determine who was involved.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the explosion took place. However, he did not comment on reports from other Taliban officials, who said the mosque was offering prayers for his mother who died last week.

The Taliban, who are also battling remnants of troops loyal to Ahmad Massoud, an opposition leader from the Panjshir region north of Kabul, say they are close to controlling the country.

However, Sunday's violence and a series of minor incidents in recent days in the area, including Nangarhar on the border with Pakistan and Parwan north of Kabul, have shown the security threat has not disappeared.

A Taliban soldier who saw the blast on Sunday said two people were killed and eight injured. He said there appeared to be two bombers and added that one of them was killed and the other was caught trying to escape.

Local media quoted the interior ministry as saying eight people were killed and 20 injured, but a Taliban official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the final toll would be higher.

Suicide attacks, widely claimed by the Taliban, killed thousands of civilians in Kabul during the 20-year insurgency against the Western-backed government. Afghans hope the victory of the movement will end them.

But militant groups such as ISIS continue to operate, potentially posing a serious threat to stability. The group recently claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

"The explosion occurred on the main road outside the Eidgah mosque where prayers for Zabihullah Mujahid's mother were taking place," said an official, who asked not to be named.

To note, the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan after most of the United States and other Western troops left, ending the military and diplomatic mission that began immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks in Uncle Sam's country.