KABUL: At least 16 people were killed and about 50 injured after an explosion hit a mosque in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan on Thursday.
The blast targeted the memorial ceremony of a Taliban official who was killed in a bomb blast several days ago, according to Sputnik telegram channel.
The Ministry of Interior, under Taliban control, confirmed the casualties and reported that a significant number of individuals were wounded in the incident.
Among the deceased was Safiullah Samim, a former police commander from the northern Baghlan province. This information was conveyed through a condolence statement issued by Najibullah Badakhshi, another police chief. The loss of Samim, a respected figure in the region, added to the somber atmosphere surrounding the funeral.
Eyewitnesses described the harrowing scene that unfolded during the explosion. Ashraf Nael, a resident of Faizabad, shared his account, stating that he was present in a nearby court building when he heard a loud blast around 11:00 a.m. local time. The sound was somewhat muffled by the walls of the mosque, but it quickly attracted the attention of onlookers. Soon after, a fleet of ambulances rushed to the scene to provide medical assistance.
Responsibility for the car bomb attack that claimed the life of Badakhshan’s deputy governor on Tuesday was claimed by militants belonging to the Islamic State.— Agencies
