15 killed, 50 injured in mosque blast in northern Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD

A blast inside a mosque in Afghanistan's northern province killed at least 15 people and injured 50 others on Thursday.

The blast occurred at a mosque in Faizabad, the capital city of Badakhshan province, where Taliban officials had gathered for condolence prayers for a slain deputy governor, who was also killed in the blast on Wednesday, according to local broadcaster Tolo News.

A local hospital administration confirmed the casualty figures and stated that the dead and injured were mostly moved to the health facility, according to Tolo News.

Earlier, Moazuddin Ahmadi, a local Taliban official, also confirmed the explosion, saying it was not clear if there were any casualties.

Mawlawi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Badakhshan, and his driver were killed in a blast in Faizabad on Tuesday.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Daesh/ISIS has been attacking Taliban leaders and Afghan clerics as it has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Afghanistan, including many on mosques.