Blast tears through Kabul mosque, killing at least 10 worshippers

Published April 29, 2022
Onlookers stand next to an ambulance carrying victims near the site of a blast in Kabul on April 29. — AFP
Onlookers stand next to an ambulance carrying victims near the site of a blast in Kabul on April 29. — AFP

A blast in the Afghan capital ripped through a Sunni mosque and killed at least 10 people on Friday, an interior ministry official said.

A wave of deadly bombings has rocked the country in the last two weeks of Ramazan — some claimed by the Islamic State group — killing dozens of civilians.

“Many worshippers were at the Khalifa Sahib mosque when the blast went off,” a survivor who gave his name as Ahmad told AFP. “Many victims were thrown off their feet.”

Mohammad Sabir, a resident in the area, said he had seen people being loaded into ambulances after the explosion. “The blast was very loud, I thought my eardrums were cracked,” he said.

Bloodied casualties were ferried in ambulances to a hospital in central Kabul but Taliban fighters barred journalists from accessing the facility.

“The blast occurred two hours after Friday prayers as worshippers were performing rituals,” interior ministry deputy spokesman Bismillah Habib told AFP, adding at least 15 people were injured.

Friday's blast came hours after Afghanistan's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada praised the country's security apparatus in a message ahead of Eidul Fitr.

While he made no mention of the recent spate of bombings, he said Afghanistan had been able to build “a strong Islamic and national army,” as well as “a strong intelligence organisation”.

Several recent bombings have targeted the minority Shia community, but Friday's blast was at a Sunni mosque.

It comes a day after two bombs on separate minibuses killed at least nine people in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, targeting Shia passengers heading home to break their fast.

A bomb at a Shia mosque in the city a week earlier killed at least 12 worshippers and wounded scores more.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several of the recent attacks.

Opinion

Editorial

Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....
Battling hate
Updated 15 Mar, 2026

Battling hate

In the current scenario, geopolitical conflict, racial prejudice and religious bigotry all contribute to the threats Muslims face.
TB drugs shortage
15 Mar, 2026

TB drugs shortage

‘CRIMINAL negligence’ is the phrase that jumps to mind when one considers the disturbing consequences of the...
Chinese diplomacy
Updated 14 Mar, 2026

Chinese diplomacy

THERE are signs that China is taking a more active role in trying to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism...