Afghanistan: Mosque bombing kills and wounds during Friday prayers

An explosion rocked a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Kandahar on Friday, killing and wounding several people, Afghan sources said.

According to sources, more than 20 people were killed and injured during the attack, which caused a state of panic.

The blast took place in the center of the city during Friday prayers, which are attended by a large number of Kandahar’s 614,000 residents.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast yet, but Afghanistan has seen similar attacks recently, and ISIS has been blamed for the attacks.

Last week, a similar explosion ripped through a mosque in Khan Abad, in the northern province of Kunduz, killing 50 people and injuring nearly 140.

ISIS took advantage of the new situation in Afghanistan to close ranks, but the Taliban government vowed to fight the militants.

In August, the Taliban came to power after the central government collapsed, following a US military withdrawal from the country.