-Blast rips through Mosque during Friday prayers
-Blast marks second massive attack in a week targeting worshippers
-Four explosions; two outside and two inside the Mosque reported
From John Nelson
KABUL: Suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque packed with worshippers attending Friday prayers in Afghan city of Kandahar, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 70, according to a hospital official and a witness.
Taking to Twitter, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attack and wrote: “The Islamic Emirate condemns the barbaric attack on civilians in a mosque in Kandahar. We have directed the security forces to find the perpetrators of such grave crimes as soon as possible and bring them to justice.”
“The Islamic Emirate also extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” he added.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the carnage at the Fatimiya mosque in Kandahar province. It came a week after a bombing claimed by the local Islamic State affiliate killed 46 people at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan.
Murtaza, who and like many Afghans goes by one name, said he was inside the mosque during the attack and reported four explosions: two outside and two inside. He said Friday prayers at the mosque typically draw about 500 people. footage showed bodies scattered across bloodstained carpets, with survivors walking around in a daze or crying out in anguish.
A local hospital official who was not authorized to speak to the media provided the casualty toll on condition of anonymity. The Islamic State group, which like Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban is made up of Sunni Muslims, views Shiite Muslims as apostates deserving of death.
IS has claimed a number of deadly bombings across the country since the Taliban seized power in August amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The group, which also regards the Taliban as enemies, has targeted Taliban fighters in smaller attacks.
The Taliban have pledged to restore peace and security after decades of war. Both the Taliban and IS adhere to a rigid interpretation of Islamic law, but IS is far more radical. It has better-known branches in Iraq and Syria. The Taliban have pledged to protect Afghanistan’s Shiite minority, which was persecuted during the last period of Taliban rule, in the 1990s.
