By Jay Jackson, Irish Sun
19 Oct 2019, 03:23 GMT+10
JALALABAD, Afghanistan - Dozens of worshippers have been killed and scores more wounded Friday in an explosion at a mosque in Nangarhar province, in eastern Afghanistan.
Attaullah Khogyani, Nangarhar provincial spokesman said sixty-two people were killed in the attack, while Reuters Thomson said another 100 people were wounded in the blast in Haska Mina district, also known as the Deh Bala district, near the border with Pakistan. Many of the casualties are believed to have been members of the Afghan National Army. By Sunday the death toll had risen to seventy-two, with another 3 people still missing,
The blast, which is said to have caused the mosque's roof to cave in, took place during Friday prayers in Haska Mina district, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the provincial capital Jalalabad.
The Taliban is operating in the region and so if ISIS, but at the point of writing no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
"Dozens of people were killed and wounded and were taken in several ambulances," Haji Amanat Khan, a 65-year-old local resident, was quoted as saying by AFP.
While Friday's attack, believed to have been triggered by a suicide bomber, targeted the Afghan military, they were off duty and praying at a mosque which would render them as civilians.
"Civilian casualties are totally unacceptable," the UN's special representative in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, said.
In a statement released on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared those responsible for the attack must be held accountable. He extended his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
The Secretary-General reiterated the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and government of Afghanistan.
The UN on Thursday reported that 1,174 civilians were killed and 3,139 injured from 1 July until 30 September, a 42% increase on the same time period last year.
(File photo: Afghan National Army cadets practice drills on the parade grounds at the Afghan National Defense University in Kabul, Afghanistan. Credit: Staff Sgt. Dustin Payne/U.S. Air Force).
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationAUCKLAND, New Zealand - New Zealand Defence Force and police officers successfully recovered six bodies from Whakaari/White Island on Friday, ...
LONDON - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party will win an overwhelming victory in Britain's election with a majority of ...
BETHLEHEM, Palestinian territories - Israel announced Thursday that Christians in the Gaza Strip will be barred from visiting Holy cities ...
NIAMEY, Niger - At least 71 soldiers were killed and twelve others sustained injuries in a deadly terror attack that ...
BAGHDAD, Iraq - As protests in Iraq enter their third month, the numbers of arrests, abductions, and killings of protesters ...
SYDNEY, Australia - Two Australian schoolboys severely injured in the White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand on Monday have ...
NIAMEY, Niger - At least 71 soldiers were killed and twelve others sustained injuries in a deadly terror attack that ...
WASHINGTON, DC - An executive order issued by President Donald Trump interpreting members of the Jewish religion as part of ...
LONDON, UK - With Britons heading to the polls on Thursday to vote in their third general election in under ...
Russia's state-controlled energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz say they will continue talks on the extension of a deal on ...
Belarus plans to borrow $500 million from China to pay down existing debt as talks about a loan from Russia ...
PanARMENIAN.Net - the last 9th State body of Belgium - the Brussels Capital Parliament - approved the Armenia-EU agreement on ...