Afghanistan: Kabul Mosque Blast Kills 12 Worshipers

A blast inside a mosque during Friday prayers on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, Kabul, has killed at least 12 people and injured several others.

According to international media reports, the Taliban, which had declared a three-day ceasefire during Eid al-Fitr, condemned the blast and disassociated themselves, while no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

A blast at a mosque in the capital Kabul’s Shakardara District killed 12 people, including the imam, and injured 15 worshipers, Kabul police spokesman Firdous Faramarz said.

Earlier, a blast outside a school in the capital last week killed 80 people, including dozens of female students, while the Taliban has also disassociated themselves from the attack.

US officials believe that the Taliban’s rival group ISIS may have been involved in the attack on the school and may have played a role in today’s attack because they did not sign a ceasefire agreement on Eid al-Fitr.

Violence has escalated in Afghanistan, including attacks on civilians, despite the US announcing the withdrawal of the rest of its forces from the country.

So far, there have been no reports of direct fighting between government forces and the Taliban during the Eid al-Fitr ceasefire, but roadside bombings continue.

Four such bombings on Thursday killed at least 11 civilians and injured 13 others.

Political talks between the government and the Taliban continue in the wake of the withdrawal of US troops from the region 20 years later.

The European Union’s mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack in a Twitter message, saying that today’s attack on a mosque in Kabul’s Shakardara district during Friday prayers was in stark contrast to Eid al-Fitr because the holidays are peaceful. Prayers are with all the victims but the attack on the mosque has nothing to do with religion.

Last year, the Taliban and the United States signed an agreement to end the 20-year war, which began when the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan following September 11, 2001.

The agreement stipulates that the United States will withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan in exchange for security guarantees from the Taliban.

The agreement also stipulated that the Taliban would hold peace talks with the Afghan government, which began last year but has been stalled ever since.

Taliban attacks on foreign forces have dropped dramatically, but they continue to target Afghan government forces.

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