A loud explosion has taken place near the main mosque in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement that a suicide bomber blew himself up inside an ablution room at the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque at around 7:25 p.m.
According to the outlet TOLOnews, citing a source, three people were injured in the attack, including Mohammad Ayaz Niazi, the mosque's imam. The Interior Ministry later confirmed the death of Imam Ayaz Niazi.
Tariq Aryan, the Interior Ministry’s spokesman, has confirmed the number of victims, adding that the wounded have already been taken to hospital.
New details on Kabul blast:
— Mustafa Kazemi (@CombatJourno) June 2, 2020
A suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside of the courtyard of Wazir Akbar Khan main mosque.
Three civilians have been wounded and taken to the hospital.
Police spoxman @TariqArian3 confirms.
The first photos from the site of the blast have appeared online.
Ministry of Interior says it was a suicide bomber who blew up himself inside Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque. pic.twitter.com/M3NCddjugi
— Afghanistan Times (@AfghanistanTime) June 2, 2020
Explosion rocked Wazir Akbar Khan quart of #Kabul #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/cGh9YXi4bC
— Dr. Drexluddin Khan Spiveyzai (@RisboLensky) June 2, 2020
Earlier in the day, seven civilians were killed and six others injured in a roadside bomb explosion in the Khan Abad district of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, a local district chief stated.
According to the Khan Abad district chief, Hayatullah Ameri, the incident took place on Monday evening in a Taliban*-controlled area. He added that the victims were residents of the north-eastern Badakhshan province. A local source said that a car carrying harvest workers detonated in the district's Jangal Bashi area.
Violent attacks and bomb blasts are continuing in Afghanistan despite the signing of a peace deal between the Taliban and the US. The agreement was intended to pave the way for the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country within 14 months and the beginning of intra-Afghan talks between the militant group and the government.
These talks were initially scheduled to commence on 10 March, but were delayed due to Afghanistan’s electoral crisis and mutual disagreements over the release of prisoners.
The Afghan government has accused the Taliban of releasing civilians as part of the exchange instead of the military personnel who were named on lists submitted to the militant group.
*Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia
