Bomb Blast Again Shakes Shia Mosque In Afghanistan: 62 People Killed, Taliban Deploy Special Forces

JAKARTA - At least 62 people were killed and 70 others injured in a suicide bombing that hit a Shi'ite mosque in southern Afghanistan, according to the Kabul-based Bakhtar news agency.

Citing Daily Sabah October 15, the explosion occurred at the Imam Barga Mosque in Kandahar, as worshipers packed the mosque for Friday prayers. The attack came a week after a bombing, claimed by a local Daesh affiliate or ISIS, killed 46 people at a Shia mosque in northern Afghanistan.

Murtaza, a witness who like most Afghans goes by one name, said four suicide bombers attacked the mosque. Two detonated their explosives at the security gate, allowing the other two to run inside and attack worshipers.

Speaking to The Associated Press (AP) by telephone, he said Friday prayers are usually attended by about 500 people. Video footage from the scene showed bodies strewn on bloodied carpets, with survivors walking around in a daze or crying in anguish.

ISIS has claimed several deadly bombings across the country since the Taliban seized power in August amid a US troop withdrawal. The group has also targeted Taliban fighters in smaller attacks. Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi confirmed the blast and said an investigation was ongoing, without providing further details.

An official at the provincial hospital said the health facility received 37 bodies and 70 injured, adding that the death toll was likely to rise. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to inform the media. The Taliban have promised to restore peace and security after decades of war.

"Thirty-two bodies and 53 injured people have been brought to our hospital so far", a doctor at the Mirwais city center hospital told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Another medical source and a provincial official confirmed the toll was over 30, and at least 15 ambulances rushed to and from the scene. Meanwhile, the mosque's Facebook account made a call for blood donation.

An eyewitness told AFP that he heard three explosions, one at the main door of the mosque, another in the south, and a third where worshipers showered before prayers. Another witness also said three explosions rocked the mosque in the city center during Friday prayers, the busiest congregation of the week.

"We are saddened to learn that an explosion took place at a mosque of Shia fraternity in the first district of Kandahar city where a number of our comrades were martyred and injured", Taliban interior ministry spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti said on Twitter.

"The special forces of the Islamic Emirate have arrived in the area to determine the nature of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice", he stressed.