Explosions rock Afghanistan: 14 killed as militants target Kabul mosque, three minivans in Mazar-e-Sharif

Afghanistan was again jolted by several blasts on Wednesday, media reports said citing the Taliban. In Kabul, at least five worshippers were killed in a blast inside a mosque. Around nine passengers also lost their lives in three bombings of minivans in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. For the minivan bombings, a local affiliate of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility. With these repeated attacks, it seems the tables have turned in Afghanistan as Taliban used to carry out such bombings and attacks when the Western-backed government was at the helm in the country.

In the bombing at Hazrat Zakaria Mosque in central Police District 4 of the city, Kabul Emergency Hospital received 22 victims, including the dead.

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"The blast took place while people were inside the mosque for the evening prayers," said Khalid Zadran, a Taliban police spokesman in Kabul.

In minivan blasts in Mazar-e-Sharif, 15 people were also injured. Explosive devices were placed inside the minivans, as per Mohammad Asif Waziri, who is a Taliban-appointed spokesman in Balkh province. All the victims of Mazar-e-Sharif blasts belonged to minority Shiite Muslims, as per a police official on condition of anonymity.

In a statement on its Aamaq news agency, the Sunni militant group, IS, claimed responsibility for the attacks in Mazar-e-Sharif. Three buses were targeted with improvised explosive devices, the IS statement said. No group has taken the responsibility for the explosion at Kabul mosque till now.

(With inputs from agencies)

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