Categories: GlobalTop Stories

Suicide Attack on Shiite Mosque in Afghanistan Kills 47

Suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque packed with worshippers attending Friday prayers in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 47 people and wounding 70, a Taliban official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the carnage at the Fatimiya mosque in Kandahar province. The attack came a week after a bombing claimed by the local Islamic State affiliate killed 46 people at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan.

The sectarian bloodletting has raised fears that IS — an enemy of both the Taliban and the West — is expanding its foothold in Afghanistan.

Hafiz Sayeed, the Taliban’s chief for Kandahar’s department of culture and information, said 47 people had been killed and at least 70 wounded in the attack.

Murtaza, who and like many Afghans goes by one name, said he was inside the mosque during the attack and reported four explosions: two outside and two inside. He said Friday prayers at the mosque typically draw hundreds of people.

Another witness, also named Murtaza, was in charge of security at the mosque and said he saw two bombers. He said one detonated explosives outside the gate, and the other was already among the worshippers inside the mosque.

He said the mosque’s security personnel shot another suspected attacker outside.

Video footage showed bodies scattered across bloodstained carpets, with survivors walking around in a daze or crying out in anguish.

Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi earlier reported 32 dead and 68 wounded.

The Islamic State group, which like Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban is made up of Sunni Muslims, views Shiite Muslims as apostates deserving of death.

IS has claimed a number of deadly bombings across the country since the Taliban seized power in August amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The group has also targeted Taliban fighters in smaller attacks.

If the attack was carried out by IS, it would be the first major assault by the extremist group in southern Afghanistan since the U.S. departure enabled the Taliban to consolidate control of the country. Recent attacks in the north, the east and the Afghan capital have cast doubt on the Taliban’s ability to counter the threat posed by IS.

The Taliban have pledged to restore peace and security after decades of war and have also given the U.S. assurances that they will not allow the country to be used as a base for launching extremist attacks on other countries.

The Taliban have pledged, too, to protect Afghanistan’s Shiite minority, which was persecuted during the last period of Taliban rule, in the 1990s.

Both the Taliban and IS adhere to a rigid interpretation of Islamic law, but IS is far more radical. It has better-known branches in Iraq and Syria.

Follow us on:

AriseNews

Recent Posts

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour: Commercialisation Of GMO Seeds Can Take Away Nigeria’s Food Sovereignty, Cause Health Issues

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has condemned the commercialisation of GMO seeds, warning of threats to Nigeria’s food…

10 hours ago

Usyk Defeats Fury on Points in Riyadh to Retain Heavyweight Championship Title

Oleksandr Usyk has secured victory over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, successfully defending his heavyweight championship…

15 hours ago

Albania to Ban TikTok for a Year After Schoolboy’s Death Sparks Concerns

Albania plans a one-year TikTok ban from January after a schoolboy’s death sparks concerns over…

18 hours ago

Suspect Remanded in Custody Over Deadly Attack at German Christmas Market

A suspect accused of killing five people by driving into a crowded Christmas market in…

18 hours ago

US Fighter Jet ShotDown in Red Sea ‘Friendly Fire’ Incident Amid Heightened Tensions

A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet was mistakenly shot down over the Red Sea by the…

18 hours ago

NNPC, Dangote Refinery Slash Petrol Prices to N899 Per Litre Amid Rising Competition

NNPC has reduced petrol ex-depot price to N899 per litre, sparking competition with Dangote Refinery…

19 hours ago