An explosion on the doorsteps of a mosque in northern Afghanistan killed one worshipper and wounded seven others on Friday, a Taliban official said.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the blast occurred in the city of Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province, which borders the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan.

Baz Mohammad Sarwari of Badghis province said the cause of the explosion is unknown but investigations are ongoing.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion. A local outfit affiliated with the militant Islamic State group has in the past repeatedly claimed responsibility for similar attacks.

Sarwari said the wounded were transferred to the provincial hospital while Taliban troops secured the area.

The explosion went off while dozens of worshippers had gathered inside the mosque for Friday prayers.

Last month, a bomb blast on a minibus had killed at least seven people in the western Afghan city of Herat. The sticky bomb was attached to the fuel tank of the bus and left nine other people wounded.

Opinion

Editorial

Back in parliament
Updated 27 Jul, 2024

Back in parliament

It is ECP's responsibility to set right all the wrongs it committed in the Feb 8 general elections.
Brutal crime
27 Jul, 2024

Brutal crime

No effort has been made to even sensitise police to the gravity of crime involving sexual assaults, let alone train them to properly probe such cases.
Upholding rights
27 Jul, 2024

Upholding rights

Sanctity of rights bodies, such as the HRCP, should be inviolable in a civilised environment.
Judicial constraints
Updated 26 Jul, 2024

Judicial constraints

The fact that it is being prescribed by the legislature will be questioned, given the political context.
Macabre spectacle
26 Jul, 2024

Macabre spectacle

Israel knows that regardless of the party that wins the presidency, America’s ‘ironclad’ support for its genocidal endeavours will continue.