there are at least 80 dead and more than 100 injured

At least 80 people died and more than 100 were injured after an explosion that occurred during the crowd Friday prayer in a Shiite mosque in the city of Kunduz, in northeastern Afghanistan. The figures vary, however, depending on the source and over time.

“A loud explosion took place in the mosque Sayed-Abad, in which 80 people from the Shiite community who came to pray were killed and a hundred more were injured, ”said Ghulam Rabani Rabani, former member of the Kunduz provincial council.

“So far, we have received 35 bodies and more than 50 wounded,” said a doctor at Kunduz Central Hospital, who did not want his identity revealed. Shortly before, a local official of Médecins sans frontières (MSF) had declared that “more than 90 wounded and 15 bodies” had arrived at the clinic of this NGO in the city.

After the explosion, a Taliban spokesperson confirmed the events and predicted there would be deaths.

“There was an explosion in a mosque of our Shiite compatriots in the Khan Abad district of Bandar, the capital of Kunduz province, causing several deaths and injuries,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Muhajid.

The attack has yet to be claimed, but the jihadist group ISIS, rival of the Taliban and enemy of the Shia Muslim minority, has carried out similar acts in recent weeks.

The explosion occurred during midday prayer, the busiest Friday, a Muslim day of rest.

Facts

The explosion occurred during the midday prayer, busiest on Friday, Muslim day of rest and witnesses described atrocious scenes.

“I saw at least 40 bodies,” said local trader Zalmai Alokzai, who immediately went to the hospital to donate blood to the victims. “Ambulances came and went transport the corpses“he explained.

“When I heard the explosion, I called my brother but he did not answer,” Aminullah told AFP. “I went to the mosque and saw him injured and passed out. We quickly took him to the MSF hospital,” he added.

“It was terrifying. Some neighbors have been killed or injured. A 16-year-old neighbor has died, we were only able to find half of his body, ”said a teacher who lives near the mosque.

The hand of Daesh

Although they are Sunnis, ISIS and the Taliban are sworn enemies.

In Afghanistan, the Shiites, who represent 20% of the population, they are often the target of attacks, perpetrated in most cases by the local branch of the ISIS group, the Islamic State-Khorasan (EI-K).

This group has claimed responsibility for some of the bloodiest attacks in recent years in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mostly suicide bombings in mosques, hospitals and other public places.

The target group is Muslims who considers heretics, like the Shiites of the Hazara ethnic group.

In August 2019, he claimed responsibility for an attack on Shiites at a wedding in Kabul, in which 91 people died.

He is also held responsible for an attack in May 2020 against the maternity ward of a predominantly Shiite neighborhood of the Afghan capital in which 25 people died, including 16 mothers and several new born.

The Taliban’s rise to power in mid-August did not end the terrorist threat in the country. On the 26th of this month, more than 100 people were killed, including 13 American soldiers, in an attack in the area of ​​Kabul airport claimed by IS-K.

Agencies

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