Taliban official: At least 100 dead, wounded in Afghan blast

By SAMYA KULLAB and TAMEEM AKHGAR

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An detonation went disconnected Friday among Shiite Muslim worshippers astatine a mosque successful bluish Afghanistan, sidesplitting oregon wounding astatine slightest 100 people, a Taliban constabulary authoritative said.

There was nary contiguous assertion of work for the blast, which took spot successful Kunduz, the superior of Kunduz province, but militants from the Islamic State radical person a agelong past of attacking Afghanistan’s Shiite Muslim minority.

Dost Mohammad Obaida, the lawman constabulary main for Kunduz province, said that the “majority of them person been killed.” He said the onslaught whitethorn person been carried retired by a termination bomber who mingled among the worshipers.

“I guarantee our Shiite brothers that the Taliban are prepared to guarantee their safety,” Obaida said, adding that an probe was underway.

If confirmed, a decease toll of dozens would beryllium the highest since U.S. and NATO forces near Afghanistan astatine the extremity of August and the Taliban took power of the country. The Taliban person been targeted successful a bid of deadly IS attacks, including shooting ambushes and an detonation astatine a mosque successful the superior of Kabul.

The detonation went disconnected during the play Friday supplication work astatine the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque. The Friday noon supplication is the item of the Muslim spiritual week, and mosques are typically crowded. Witness Ali Reza said helium was praying astatine the clip of the detonation and reported seeing galore casualties.

Photos and video from the country showed rescuers carrying a assemblage wrapped successful a broad from the mosque to an ambulance. The stairs astatine the entranceway of the mosque were covered successful blood.

Earlier Friday, the main Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Shiite mosque was the people and that a “large number” of worshippers were killed and wounded. He said Taliban peculiar forces had arrived to the country and were investigating the incident.

The Taliban enactment has been grappling with a increasing menace from the section Islamic State affiliate, known arsenic the Islamic State successful Khorasan. IS militants person ramped up attacks to people their rivals, including 2 deadly bombings successful Kabul.

IS has besides targeted Afghanistan’s spiritual minorities successful attacks.

The section Islamic State affiliate claimed work for the horrific Aug. 26 bombing that killed astatine slightest 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. subject unit extracurricular the Kabul airdrome successful the last days of the chaotic American pullout from Afghanistan.

Since the U.S. pullout, IS attacks person been mostly successful eastbound Afghanistan — the determination basal for the IS affiliate — and successful Kabul.

Ethnic Hazaras, who are mostly number Shiite Muslims, marque up astir 6% of Kunduz’s colonisation of astir 1 cardinal people. The state besides has a ample taste Uzbek colonisation that has been targeted for recruitment by the IS, which is intimately aligned with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Friday’s attack, if claimed by IS, volition besides beryllium worrying for Afghanistan’s bluish Central Asian neighbors and Russia, which has been courting the Taliban for years arsenic an state against the creeping IS successful the area.

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Akhgar reported from Istanbul. Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon successful Islamabad contributed to this report.