The imam of the mosque was among those killed and the count may still rise. (Representative)
Kabul:
Witnesses and police said a major explosion occurred at a mosque in Kabul during evening prayers on Wednesday, killing or injuring several people.
Police said there were several casualties but did not say how many. A Taliban intelligence official told Reuters that 35 people were injured or killed and the death toll could rise further. Al Jazeera quoted an unidentified official as putting the total death toll at 20.
Witnesses told Reuters that powerful explosions were heard in neighborhoods in northern Kabul, shattering windows in nearby buildings. Ambulance reached the spot.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran told Reuters: “There was an explosion inside a mosque… there have been casualties in the blast, but the number is not yet clear.”
A Taliban intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that a mosque exploded among worshipers in Kabul’s Khair Khana area.
The source said the imam of the mosque was among those killed and the count could still rise. Intelligence teams were at the blast site and investigation was on.
Other Taliban government officials did not respond to multiple requests to confirm casualties.
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