The blast in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul city has faced strong reactions internationally as well as domestically.
On Friday afternoon a blast occurred nearby the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque, killing nine people and wounding 41 others, including children.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Abdul Nafay Takor, said that the blast was due to a car bombing.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on Twitter condemned the blast and said attacking mosques and targeting worshippers is a “major and unforgivable crime.”
Former President Hamid Karzai also “strongly” condemned the blast and called it a “terrorist act” that was against both Islamic and human principles.
The US embassy for Afghanistan on Twitter said that Washington “strongly condemns today’s vicious attack on worshipers outside the Wazir Akber Khan mosque in Kabul.”
“Such an attack against people professing their faith is unjustifiable,” the embassy said on Twitter. “We offer condolences to the families of the victims and hope those injured recover swiftly.”
The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet: Another bitter reminder of ongoing insecurity and terrorist activity in Afghanistan – today’s explosion outside a downtown mosque in Kabul caused numerous casualties, including fatalities.”
Kabul has recently seen a surge in security incidents.
On Friday an explosion occurred near the Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Mosque in PD10 in Kabul.
According to Abdul Nafi Takoor, the Interior Ministry spokesman, the explosion occurred when the worshippers were leaving the mosque, and the victims were civilians. Security forces have arrived at the blast site in Kabul and are blocking off traffic. Eyewitnesses told TOLOnews that the explosion was caused by a magnetic bomb.
There are no official numbers available yet about casualties.
However, Emergency NGO tweeted that its surgical centre has received 14 casualties from today’s blast, and “4 of them were already dead on arrival.” No one has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Wazir Akbar Khan, the area of the blast, is known as the green zone and is the location of foreign diplomatic missions.—Tolonews
