Bomber kills 27 in Kabul mosque blast

An injured Afghan man lies on a stretcher as he is transfered from an ambulance to the Estiqlal Hospital after a massive suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Kabul on November 21, 2016. / AFP / WAKIL KShow more

Kabul // A massive suicide blast targeting Shiites killed at least 27 people and wounded 35 as worshippers gathered at a Kabul mosque on Monday.

The attacker was mingling with worshippers inside the Baqirul Olum mosque in the west of the city when he detonated the bomb, said senior police official Fridon Obaidi.

The blast left a large crater inside the two-storey mosque. Bodies covered in blood could be seen on the ground among shattered glass.

“I heard a blast and dust covered the whole mosque,” said worshipper Nadir Ali.

“When the dust settled down, I saw the mosque was full of flesh and blood. I was injured in my waist and had to crawl out of the mosque.”

Another worshipper, Ali Jan, said: “I was in the mosque, the people were offering prayers. Suddenly I heard a bang and windows broke. I had no idea what had happened. I rushed out screaming.”

The worshippers were gathering for the Shiite ceremony of Arbaeen.

Police cordoned off the area as ambulances rushed to the scene. President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the “barbaric” attack, which the UN called an “atrocity”.

Nato commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson offered condolences and the US embassy in Kabul also condemned the blast, which Amnesty International called “horrific and deliberate”.

Mosques in Kabul rarely have any security — though police patrols can be seen near some on Fridays — and some witnesses criticised the government over the lack of protection.

“They know that Daesh, who is able to conduct attacks in Europe, can reach places in Afghanistan easily. They should provide security to sacred places,” said Rahmat who was at the mosque.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Monday’s blast. The Taliban, who are waging a bloody war to topple the US-backed Afghan government, said they were not involved in the attack.

Earlier this year a powerful blast targeting Shiites during Ashura killed 14 people in northern Afghanistan. It followed twin attacks claimed by ISIL, that also targeted Shiites and killed 18 in Kabul.

In July ISIL claimed responsibility for explosions that ripped through crowds of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul, killing at least 85 people and wounding more than 400 others.

Those bombings marked the deadliest single attack in the Afghan capital since the Taliban were ousted from power in a 2001 US-led invasion.

*Agence France-Presse