49 dead, 75 wounded in in two separate attacks on mosques in Afghanistan
By XU WEI
People's Daily app
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Death toll rises to 39 in Kabul mosque attack. Photo: TOLO News

Islamabad-At least 49 people were killed, 75 wounded when suicide bombers detonated explosives in two separate mosque attacks in Afghanistan on October 20, officials said.

The ministry of interior confirmed at least 39 people were killed and 45 wounded in the Imam Zaman Mosque attack in Kabul city on Friday evening. The explosion occurred at around 6 pm when the worshipers were doing the evening prayer. 

Witnesses told the local media that the suicide bomber was in the middle of the mosque among the worshipers when he detonated the explosives, women and children were also among the victims of the attack. 

The Ministry of Public Health said in a statement that many of the wounded are in critical condition.

Security forces cordoned off the area one hour after the explosion. Many people were chanting slogans against insurgents outside the mosque few hours after the attack.

According to TOLO News, Daesh has claimed responsibility of the attack. Witnesses meanwhile said more than 30 people dead in the blast.

Hours later, at least 10 people were killed in a second attack when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives close to a mosque in Doleena district in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, local officials said. 

Ghor governor's spokesperson Abdul Hai Khatibi said the explosion happened when the worshipers were inside the mosque, the explosion claimed the lives of at least 10 civilians.

No group has claimed responsibility to this attack so far.

President Ashraf Ghani in a statement condemned the attacks on Kabul and Ghor mosques and called them inhuman and against the values of Islam. He said, "such acts will not affect Afghans' unity".