KHOST: Burqa-clad suicide bombers struck a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan Friday as it was crowded with worshippers for weekly prayers, killing at least 29 people and wounding more than 80 in the latest attack on the minority.

Officials said they feared the death toll could rise after the assault, the latest targeting civilians who have borne the brunt of the violence in Afghanistan’s long conflict.“Two suicide explosions happened during Friday prayers in the Khwaja Hasan area of Gardez,” said Abdullah Hasrat, spokesman for Paktia province near the Pakistan border.

He told AFP the toll had risen to 29 killed and 81 wounded, with children among the victims. The bombers wore “women’s clothing”, he said, and shot first at the mosque’s security guards before opening fire on worshippers then detonating their explosives.

Provincial police chief General Raz Mohammad Mandozai confirmed the incident, and that the pair were wearing burqas to hide their explosives and weapons.Local resident Sayed Naimatullah said he could hear the blasts from inside his home and rushed to the mosque.

“There were body parts, heads, limbs and arms scattered everywhere. The blood of the worshippers had painted the walls of the mosque... There were pieces of glass scattered all over,” the 30-year-old told AFP. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban have denied involvement.

The blasts come as urban areas across Afghanistan have been rocked by an increasing number of attacks in recent months, with both Islamic State (IS) and Taliban insurgents targeting security forces and government installations.

The Taliban has not claimed a major attack in a city for weeks as it comes under increased pressure to agree to peace talks with the Afghan government.But IS has carried out multiple attacks in the eastern city of Jalalabad and the capital Kabul in recent months, targeting everything from government ministries to a midwife training centre.

Last month an IS suicide bomber blew himself up near Kabul international airport, killing 23 people including AFP driver Mohammad Akhtar. The uptick in violence comes as United States and Afghan forces intensify ground and air offensives against IS, and the Taliban step up their turf war with the group.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan — Two suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan during Friday prayers, killing at least 29 people and wounding another 81, officials said.

Abdullah Asrat, spokesman for the governor of Paktia province, said the heavily armed attackers, disguised in the all-encompassing burkas worn by conservative Afghan women, opened fire on private security guards outside the mosque in the city of Gardez. Then they slipped inside and set off their explosives among around 100 worshippers.

Five of the seriously wounded were small children, he said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has targeted Shiite worshippers in the past. The group has also warned Afghanistan’s minority Shiites that their houses of worship would be targeted.

Syed Sufi Gardezi, the most senior Shiite cleric in Gardez, put the death toll at 30. He described a scene of panic and distress outside the Imam-e-Zaman mosque as news of the explosion spread and relatives gathered.

Gardezi said the wounded were screaming for help and body parts of the dead were scattered throughout the single story mosque. The dead were all men and boys, he said.

Dr. Mohammad Wali Roshan, a physician at a local hospital, said some of the relatives, armed with sticks and guns, were furious at the lack of security and began beating people, even medical personnel who arrived to help the wounded.

“They were shouting that there was no security and screaming for their loved ones,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Gardezi blamed the Islamic State affiliate. He said the Taliban have a strong presence in the area but have never attacked Shiites in the past and have never threatened them.

Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are made up of radical Sunni Muslims who want to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose a harsh form of Islamic law. But they are fiercely divided over leadership, ideology and tactics, and have clashed on a number of occasions. IS views Shiites as apostates deserving of death.

In the last two years, IS has attacked 24 Shiite cultural centers, mosques and schools, said Mohammad Jawad Ghawary, a member of the Shiite cleric council.

“In Afghanistan they are the biggest threat for Shiites,” he said. He called on the Afghan government and the international community to do more to protect Shiites.</s>KHOST: Hundreds of mourners Saturday buried the victims of a twin suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan, as the death toll rose to 35, officials said.

Two suicide bombers dressed as women struck a Shiite mosque in Gardez, capital of Paktia province, Friday as it was crowded with worshippers for weekly prayers.

The burqa-clad attackers shot at the mosque's security guards before opening fire on worshippers then detonating their explosives.

"The death toll from Friday's mosque attack in Gardez has jumped to 35 with 94 wounded," Paktia governor Shamim Khan Katawazi told AFP.

Officials had earlier said 29 people were killed and more than 80 wounded.

"Today, we held funeral ceremony and buried all the martyred of Friday's attack," a weeping Sayed Moharram, who lost his 16-year old son, told AFP from a graveyard on the outskirts of Gardez where hundreds of people attended the ceremony.

"It is very difficult for me to accept my son is no more with me," he said.

Haji Sultan, 70, who also attended, accused the government of "negligence" in providing security for the Shiite minority.

"The enemies of Afghanistan want to create division by carrying out attacks on Shiite people, but they cannot win, it will further increase hatred towards the enemies," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The Taliban denied involvement but in recent years the Islamic State group has carried out attacks on Shiites in Afghanistan.

The attack comes as urban areas across Afghanistan have been rocked by a surge in violence in recent months, with both Islamic State and Taliban insurgents targeting security forces and government installations.

The Taliban have not claimed a major attack in a city for weeks as they come under increased pressure to agree to peace talks with the Afghan government.

But IS has carried out multiple attacks in the eastern city of Jalalabad and the capital Kabul in recent months, targeting everything from government ministries to a midwife training centre.

Last month an IS suicide bomber blew himself up near Kabul international airport, killing 23 people including AFP driver Mohammad Akhtar.

The uptick in violence comes as US and Afghan forces intensify ground and air offensives against IS, and the Taliban step up their turf war with the group.

Earlier this week more than 150 IS fighters surrendered in northern Afghanistan -- in a move that Afghan security forces and the Taliban hailed as the end of the extremist group in the north of the country.</s>KABUL (Reuters) - Thirty-nine people were killed in a suicide bombing of a Shi’ite mosque in eastern Afghanistan, and the death toll may climb further, police and government officials said on Friday.

Two burka-clad militants attacked the mosque in the city of Gardez in the province of Paktia where more than 100 people had gathered to offer prayers, said Raz Mohammad Mandozai, the police chief of Paktia.

At least 80 people were injured when the men struck with guns and explosives at the Khawaja Hassan mosque.

Gardez city hospital reported receiving at least 50 adults and 20 children wounded in the attack.

Abdullah Hazrat, a senior government official, said the militants opened fire on the worshippers and one blew himself up. Security guards stationed at the mosque gunned down the other militant.

According to an eyewitness, the assailants had entered the prayer hall and were wearing full-face veils.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Friday attack but militant group Islamic State (IS) has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Shi’ite mosques in Afghanistan.

The attack underlines the country’s dire security situation after four decades of war and 17 years of U.S. intervention. Islamic State increasingly claims responsibility for attacks on civilian targets even as pressure builds for peace talks between the Western-backed government and the Taliban.

Slideshow (2 Images)

Islamic State has frequently targeted Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority, which it calls “apostates.”

While Afghanistan’s wars have mostly been fought among Sunni Muslims, there have been increasing numbers of attacks on Shi’ite targets in recent years.

No reliable census information exists on the size of the Shi’ite community in Afghanistan, but estimates range around 10-15 percent, including most members of the Persian-speaking Hazara ethnic group and some Tajiks.</s>KABUL — Thirty-nine people were killed in a suicide bombing of a Shi’ite mosque in eastern Afghanistan, and the death toll may climb further, police and government officials said on Friday.

Two burka-clad militants attacked the mosque in the city of Gardez in the province of Paktia where more than 100 people had gathered to offer prayers, said Raz Mohammad Mandozai, the police chief of Paktia.

At least 80 people were injured when the men struck with guns and explosives at the Khawaja Hassan mosque.

Gardez city hospital reported receiving at least 50 adults and 20 children wounded in the attack.

Abdullah Hazrat, a senior government official, said the militants opened fire on the worshippers and one blew himself up. Security guards stationed at the mosque gunned down the other militant.

According to an eyewitness, the assailants had entered the prayer hall and were wearing full-face veils.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Friday attack but militant group Islamic State (IS) has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Shi’ite mosques in Afghanistan.

A man holds the shoe of a victim of the attack outside the mosque.Farid Zahir / AFP – Getty Images

The attack underlines the country’s dire security situation after four decades of war and 17 years of U.S. intervention. Islamic State increasingly claims responsibility for attacks on civilian targets even as pressure builds for peace talks between the Western-backed government and the Taliban.

Islamic State has frequently targeted Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority, which it calls “apostates.”

While Afghanistan’s wars have mostly been fought among Sunni Muslims, there have been increasing numbers of attacks on Shi’ite targets in recent years.

No reliable census information exists on the size of the Shi’ite community in Afghanistan, but estimates range around 10-15 percent, including most members of the Persian-speaking Hazara ethnic group and some Tajiks.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan — Two suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan during Friday prayers, killing at least 29 people and wounding another 81, officials said.

Abdullah Asrat, spokesman for the governor of Paktia province, said the heavily armed attackers, disguised in the all-encompassing burkas worn by conservative Afghan women, opened fire on private security guards outside the mosque in the city of Gardez. Then they slipped inside and set off their explosives among around 100 worshippers.

Five of the seriously wounded were small children, he said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has targeted Shiite worshippers in the past. The group has also warned Afghanistan’s minority Shiites that their houses of worship would be targeted.

Syed Sufi Gardezi, the most senior Shiite cleric in Gardez, put the death toll at 30. He described a scene of panic and distress outside the Imam-e-Zaman mosque as news of the explosion spread and relatives gathered.

Gardezi said the wounded were screaming for help and body parts of the dead were scattered throughout the single story mosque. The dead were all men and boys, he said.

Dr. Mohammad Wali Roshan, a physician at a local hospital, said some of the relatives, armed with sticks and guns, were furious at the lack of security and began beating people, even medical personnel who arrived to help the wounded.

“They were shouting that there was no security and screaming for their loved ones,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Gardezi blamed the Islamic State affiliate. He said the Taliban have a strong presence in the area but have never attacked Shiites in the past and have never threatened them.

Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are made up of radical Sunni Muslims who want to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose a harsh form of Islamic law. But they are fiercely divided over leadership, ideology and tactics, and have clashed on a number of occasions. IS views Shiites as apostates deserving of death.

In the last two years, IS has attacked 24 Shiite cultural centers, mosques and schools, said Mohammad Jawad Ghawary, a member of the Shiite cleric council.

“In Afghanistan they are the biggest threat for Shiites,” he said. He called on the Afghan government and the international community to do more to protect Shiites.</s>KABUL — Thirty-nine people were killed in a suicide bombing of a Shi'ite mosque in eastern Afghanistan, and the death toll may climb further, police and government officials said on Friday.

Two burka-clad militants attacked the mosque in the city of Gardez in the province of Paktia where more than 100 people had gathered to offer prayers, said Raz Mohammad Mandozai, the police chief of Paktia.

At least 80 people were injured when the men struck with guns and explosives at the Khawaja Hassan mosque.

Gardez city hospital reported receiving at least 50 adults and 20 children wounded in the attack.

Abdullah Hazrat, a senior government official, said the militants opened fire on the worshippers and one blew himself up. Security guards stationed at the mosque gunned down the other militant.

According to an eyewitness, the assailants had entered the prayer hall and were wearing full-face veils.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Friday attack but militant group Islamic State (IS) has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Shi'ite mosques in Afghanistan.

The attack underlines the country’s dire security situation after four decades of war and 17 years of U.S. intervention. Islamic State increasingly claims responsibility for attacks on civilian targets even as pressure builds for peace talks between the Western-backed government and the Taliban.

Islamic State has frequently targeted Afghanistan’s Shi'ite minority, which it calls "apostates."

While Afghanistan's wars have mostly been fought among Sunni Muslims, there have been increasing numbers of attacks on Shi’ite targets in recent years.

No reliable census information exists on the size of the Shi’ite community in Afghanistan, but estimates range around 10-15 percent, including most members of the Persian-speaking Hazara ethnic group and some Tajiks.</s>KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber attacked a Shi’ite mosque in eastern Afghanistan during Friday prayers, killing 25 people and wounding 40, police said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but police said at least two men had entered the mosque in the city of Gardez in the province of Paktia where about 60 people were praying.

“Emergency teams have collected 25 bodies from the mosque premises and 40 people have been rushed to hospital,” said Abdullah Hazrat, a senior government official who was at the blast site.

One witness told Reuters that Shi’ite Muslims, a minority in Sunni-majority Afghanistan, were praying when one man detonated his explosives. A second attacker is reported to have opened fire as worshippers gathered.

Afghanistan has mostly avoided the sectarian violence that has devastated countries such as Iraq, but there have been increasing numbers of attacks on Shi’ite targets in recent years.

No reliable census information exists on the size of the Shi’ite community in Afghanistan, but estimates range around 10-20 percent, with most coming from the Persian-speaking Hazara and Tajik ethnic groups.</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

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Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in eastern Afghanistan that killed 39 people and wounded at least 80 others.

CAIRO: Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in eastern Afghanistan that killed 39 people and wounded at least 80 others.

In a statement carried by its Amaq news agency, the group said around 150 Shi'ites and security forces members were killed or wounded in Friday's attack in the city of Gardez in Paktia province, but gave few details on how the attack was carried out.

The Paktia police chief said that two burka-clad militants carried out the attack on the mosque, where more than 100 people had gathered to pray.

The group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Shi'ite mosques, security installations and civilians in Afghanistan in recent weeks as pressure builds for peace talks between the Western-backed government and the Taliban.

The attack underlines the dire security situation after four decades of war and 17 years of U.S. intervention.

No reliable census information exists on the size of the Shi’ite community in Afghanistan, but estimates range around 10-15 percent, including most members of the Persian-speaking Hazara ethnic group and some Tajiks.</s>CAIRO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in eastern Afghanistan that killed 39 people and wounded at least 80 others.

In a statement carried by its Amaq news agency, the group said around 150 Shi'ites and security forces members were killed or wounded in Friday's attack in the city of Gardez in Paktia province, but gave few details on how the attack was carried out.

The Paktia police chief said that two burka-clad militants carried out the attack on the mosque, where more than 100 people had gathered to pray.

The group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Shi'ite mosques, security installations and civilians in Afghanistan in recent weeks as pressure builds for peace talks between the Western-backed government and the Taliban.

The attack underlines the dire security situation after four decades of war and 17 years of U.S. intervention.

No reliable census information exists on the size of the Shi´ite community in Afghanistan, but estimates range around 10-15 percent, including most members of the Persian-speaking Hazara ethnic group and some Tajiks. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy, writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
A suicide bomb attack at a Shi'ite mosque in Gardez, Afghanistan, kills at least 29 people and wounds at least 40 others. There is no immediate claim for the attack.