Suicide bombing at Shia mosque kills 7 worshippers

At least seven people were killed and 15 more wounded when a suicide blast tore through a Shia mosque in northern Afghanistan yesterday, the Taliban government said. The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks has reduced dramatically since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government. However, a number of armed groups -- including the regional chapter of the Islamic State organisation -- remain a threat. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which rang out as Shia worshippers gathered for Friday prayers at the Imam Zaman mosque in Pol-i-Khomri, the capital of Baghlan province. "Security and investigative forces went to the area of the incident to investigate how this heartbreaking incident happened," said provincial information and media chief Mustafa Asadullah Hashimi. "Investigations are still ongoing," he said in a statement confirming the casualties. A source at Baghlan Provincial Hospital -- who asked to remain anonymous -- put the tally higher, saying 19 bodies and 40 wounded patients had been brought to the facility so far. "Some of the dead and wounded were taken to other private hospitals as well," he told AFP.