More than 20 dead in massive explosion inside Kabul madrasa

Kabul, Aug 17: At least 21 people were killed after a massive explosion ripped through a mosque in Afghanistan's Kabul on Wednesday. More than 40 people are believed to be injured in the incident that took place near Kotal-e-Khair khana in north-western Kabul.

Police said there were multiple casualties after the apparent attack in the Afghan capital.

A Taliban intelligence official told Reuters news agency that as many as 35 people were wounded or killed, with the toll expected to rise.

The imam of the mosque was killed in the blast, which happened during evening prayers in the Khair Khana area of Kabul.

Kabul's Emergency Hospital received 27 patients from the blast, including a seven-year-old child, it said in a statement.

No one has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Graphic, unconfirmed images shared on social media showed at least six bodies strewn on the ground.

The country has been hit by regular attacks since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, many claimed by the "Islamic State" group. This is despite the Taliban's promise to restore security.

The blast comes a week after a senior Taliban cleric known for his fiery speeches against the Islamic State (IS) was killed last Thursday at his madrassa in Kabul in a suicide bomb blast, which was claimed by the jihadist group.

Rahimullah Haqqani, who had recently spoken publicly in favour of girls being allowed to attend schools, had survived at least two previous assassination attempts, including one in Pakistan in October 2020.

(with DW news, PTI inputs)