The death toll in a Shiite mosque attack in Kabul has reached 56, officials said Saturday, as the Afghan capital reels from the latest deadly violence.
‘The toll from yesterday’s Imam Zaman mosque attack has increased to 56 killed, including women and children, and 55 wounded,’ an interior ministry spokesman said.
Officials had previously put the number of dead at 39 and 45 wounded in the attack claimed by the Islamic State group, which belongs to the rival Sunni branch of Islam.
The death toll in a Shiite mosque attack in Kabul has reached 56, officials said Saturday, as the Afghan capital reels from the latest deadly violence
‘The toll from yesterday’s Imam Zaman mosque attack has increased to 56 killed, including women and children, and 55 wounded,’ an interior ministry spokesman said
The lone suicide attacker struck as worshippers gathered for evening prayer on Friday at the mosque in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood in the west of the city
The lone suicide attacker struck as worshippers gathered for evening prayer on Friday at the mosque in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood in the west of the city.
It was one of two deadly mosque attacks in the country on Friday, capping one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory.
The second assault happened in the impoverished and remote province of Ghor where a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing 20 and wounding 10 others, the interior ministry said.
People expressed anger at the government’s inability to protect its citizens in the Afghan capital, which accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the country’s civilian deaths in the first half of the year.
It was one of two deadly mosque attacks in the country on Friday, capping one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory
The second assault happened in the impoverished and remote province of Ghor where a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing 20 and wounding 10 others, the interior ministry said
‘The windows of the mosque were broken, and blood and human flesh were spattered everywhere and you could smell blood and human flesh inside the mosque,’ Ibrahim, who rushed to the mosque after the blast, told AFP.
‘This is absolutely barbarism. What kind of Islam is this? They are attacking worshippers at the time of prayers. Even mosques are not safe for us to pray.’
‘If our government officials cannot protect us they have to resign and let other competent officials take charge,’ an eyewitness said.
An eyewitness said that the attacker detonated his explosive device among the worshippers towards the end of the prayer session.
People expressed anger at the government’s inability to protect its citizens in the Afghan capital, which accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the country’s civilian deaths in the first half of the year
An eyewitness said that the attacker detonated his explosive device among the worshippers towards the end of the prayer session
Hundreds of sandals littered the entrance to the mosque, left behind by the worshippers killed and wounded in the latest deadly attack on a Shiite mosque by IS, who belong to the rival Sunni branch of Islam
‘It was one suicide bomber packed with explosives and hand grenades wrapped around his body,’ the man said.
The dead and wounded were taken to hospitals around the city but people complained that it had taken emergency services more than an hour to arrive at the scene.
Hundreds of sandals littered the entrance to the mosque, left behind by the worshippers killed and wounded in the latest deadly attack on a Shiite mosque by IS, who belong to the rival Sunni branch of Islam.
A woman wearing a hijab sobbed as she crouched on the ground searching for the shoes of her brother and young nephews who died in the attack.
‘I was in the mosque ablution area when I heard a blast. I rushed inside the mosque and saw all the worshippers covered in blood,’ Hussain Ali said shortly after the explosion.
The force of the blast shattered all the windows of the mosque. Its walls and ceiling were covered with dark blood spatters and peppered with shrapnel
The dead and wounded were taken to hospitals around the city but people complained that it had taken emergency services more than an hour to arrive at the scene
Afghan security forces stand at the site of an attack at the Shiite mosque
‘Some of the wounded were fleeing. I tried to stop someone to help me help the wounded but everyone was in a panic. It took ambulances and the police about an hour to reach the area.’
The force of the blast shattered all the windows of the mosque. Its walls and ceiling were covered with dark blood spatters and peppered with shrapnel.
Plastic sandals were caught in the razor wire on top of the perimeter wall after being flung out the windows.
Several men moved around the room picking up dozens of coloured prayer beads, Koran holy books as well as chunks of plaster and shards of glass on the floor.
‘What kind of Muslims are they? What is our government doing?’ Rasoul, a shopkeeper in the area, said through sobs.
‘We are tired of living here, we are not even safe inside the holy sites.’
‘What kind of Muslims are they? What is our government doing?’ Rasoul, a shopkeeper in the area, said through sobs
‘We are tired of living here, we are not even safe inside the holy sites,’ he said