Suicide bomber kills dozens at Shi'ite mosque in Kabul - police

Record ID: 78025

  • Title: Suicide bomber kills dozens at Shi'ite mosque in Kabul - police
  • Date: 21st November 2016
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) ATTACK CASUALTY, MOHAMMAD YASEEN, SAYING: "I was praying inside the mosque when suddenly, there was an explosion. Right after the blast the mosque was engulfed in fire and smoke and everywhere there were broken windows. I managed to get out of the mosque, though I was badly injured." VARIOUS OF DOCTORS TENDING TO CASUALTIES
  • Embargoed: 6th December 2016 12:07
  • Keywords: Afghanistan mosque explosion Shi'ite mosque Kabul
  • Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
  • City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
  • Reuters ID: LVA00259E11L3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:A suicide bomber killed at least 27 people and wounded dozens on Monday (November 21) in an explosion at a crowded Shi'ite mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials said, the third major attack on minority Shi'ites in the city since July.
    The attacker entered the Baqir-ul-Olum mosque shortly after midday as worshippers had gathered for a ceremony, the interior ministry said in a statement.
    Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of the Kabul police Criminal Investigation Department, said at least 27 people were killed and 35 wounded but that total may rise significantly.
    One survivor, Mohammad Yaseen had been praying at the mosque.
    "Suddenly, there was an explosion. Right after blast the mosque was engulfed in fire and smoke and everywhere there were broken windows. I managed to get out of the mosque though I was badly injured," he said, speaking from a hospital bed.
    Bloody sectarian rivalry between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims has been relatively rare in Afghanistan, a majority Sunni country, but the attack underlines the deadly new dimension that growing ethnic tension could bring to its decades-long conflict.
    Already there had been two major recent attacks on Shi'ite targets in Kabul, both claimed by Islamic State.
    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attack but the Taliban, seeking to reimpose Islamic law after they were toppled from power in 2001, denied any involvement.
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