Blast strikes Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in Afghanistan’s north

KABUL (AP): A blast struck a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in Afghanistan’s north, a police spokesperson said. He confirmed there were casualties but did not give a figure or other details about the incident.

Taliban footage from the mosque in the city of Pol-e-Khomri, the provincial capital of Baghlan, showed debris strewn over a red-carpeted floor, scattered personal items and bodies covered with shrouds.

Baghlan police spokesman Sher Ahmad Borhani said he would share information about the blast later.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but blame is likely to fall on the Islamic State group, which targeted Afghanistan’s minority Shiites in past large-scale attacks.

The regional affiliate of IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country after the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

IS, which has operated in Afghanistan since 2014, is seen as the greatest security challenge facing the country’s Taliban rulers. Following their takeover, the Taliban launched a sweeping crackdown against the militant group.