Up to 100 People Killed in Shia Mosque Explosion in Northern Afghanistan - Report

KABUL (Sputnik) - A blast hit a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province on Friday, an eyewitness told Sputnik.

The number of people killed following a blast in a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province on Friday surpassed 100, an eyewitness told Sputnik.

"More than 100 people were killed and about 20 people were injured in the explosion in the mosque," the eyewitness said.

Earlier in the day, the media reported that the explosion killed 60 people and injured over 100.

According to reports, the attack took place at about 13:30 local time; a large crowd of people had gathered for Friday prayers. According to preliminary data, the suicide bomber detonated an explosive device while inside a religious building.

Afganistan'ın Kunduz ilinde Cuma namazı sırasında bir Şii camisinde patlama meydana geldi. Çok sayıda ölü ve yaralı var!pic.twitter.com/RciibLtIyJ

— Emre Orman 🇵🇸 (@eemreorman) October 8, 2021

Iran International senior correspondent Tajuden Soroush tweeted that than 100 people had been killed and more than 200 were injured.

#BREAKING: A witness says possibly more than 100 people were killed and more than 200 others were wounded as a result explosion inside a Shia mosque in Kunduz.

— Tajuden Soroush (@TajudenSoroush) October 8, 2021

According to the eyewitness, several people were taken to a hospital.

انفجار بمب در یک مسجد در شهر قندوز/کندوز #افغانستان.مهر خبرگزاری وابسته به جمهوری ملاهای ایرانی از کشته و زخمی شدن چندین تن خبر داده است pic.twitter.com/KmkISalsYw

— Mahsa Heza || مهساهیژا (@Mahsa_Heza) October 8, 2021

انفجار داخل مسجد في ولاية #قندوز شمال #أفغانستانhttps://t.co/uyl4TxZpm1 pic.twitter.com/ZXV7s4V7x6

— Lebanese-Forces.com (@LFofficialpage) October 8, 2021

Earlier, an explosion occurred near the Eid Gah mosque in Kabul. 12 people were killed in the blast, while 32 were injured. Three people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

In mid-August the Taliban* entered Kabul, and announced the next day that the war was over. The last province to resist the group, Panjshir, surrendered on 6 September.

As international troops withdrew from the country and foreign evacuations came to a close, the Taliban announced the composition of their interim cabinet, headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a former foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.