KABUL (AP) – An explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 18 people, including a prominent cleric, Taliban officials and a local medic said. At least 21 people were hurt.
The blast went off in the Guzargah Mosque in the western city of Herat during Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week when places of worship are particularly crowded.
The explosion killed Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a prominent cleric who was known across Afghanistan for his criticism of the country’s Western-backed governments over the past two decades. Ansari was seen as close to the Taliban, who seized control over the country a year ago as foreign forces withdrew.
His death was confirmed by the chief Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid.
Mujahid expressed “strong condolences” over Ansari’s death and depicted the perpetrators as the “enemies of religion” who would be punished by the Taliban administration.
Ambulances transported 18 bodies and 21 wounded people from the blast to hospitals in Herat, said Mohammad Daud Mohammadi, an official at the Herat ambulance center.
Previous mosque attacks have been claimed by Daesh extremist group, which has carried out a series of attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, as well as Taliban targets.
In the year since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Daesh attacked several mosques in attacks during Friday prayers, with a focus on targeting Shia Muslims.
The attack came on the heels of a colossal blast two weeks ago, which hit another mosque in the capital Kabul, killing at least 21 people during evening prayers.
The United Nations has raised concerns about the increased frequency of the attacks, which in some cases target busy mosques and kill civilians.