Kabul: Explosion hits mosque in Afghan capital, police say

CNN
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An explosion erupted inside a mosque during evening prayers in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, told CNN that the blast did cause casualties, but did not specify further.

The incident occurred in the city’s police district 17 and security forces are on the scene investigating, he added.

Healthcare organization Emergency later confirmed that at least three people had died.

“Following today’s explosion, we admitted 27 patients to our Surgical Centre for War Victims in Kabul, including five minors, one of them a seven-year-old boy,” Stefano Sozza, Emergency’s Country Director in Afghanistan, told CNN.

“Two patients arrived dead, one died in the emergency room,” he said.

“In the month of August alone, we managed six mass casualties in our hospital, with a total of almost 80 patients. Throughout the year, we have continued to receive gunshot injuries, shrapnel injuries, stabbing injuries, and victims of mine and IED explosions on a daily basis. The country is suffering the consequences of a very long conflict that has undermined its future,” he added.

Bilal Karimi, the Taliban’s deputy spokesman, condemned the explosion in a tweet on Wednesday evening.

“The murderers of civilians and perpetrators of similar crimes will soon be caught and punished for their actions, God willing,” Karimi wrote.

This is a developing story and will be updated.