Pakistan ‘deeply grieved’ at attack causing 100 casualties at Shiite mosque in Afghanistan

An Afghan man films inside a mosque after a blast, in Kunduz, Afghanistan October 8, 2021. (REUTERS)

• Taliban police officials say most people attending the Friday prayer congregation were either killed or wounded in northern Kunduz province
• No group immediately claimed responsibility of the explosion, though it was suspected that the attack was orchestrated by Daesh

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday condemned an explosion in a Shiite mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that killed or wounded about a hundred worshippers attending the Friday prayer congregation.
According to Reuters, the blast was first reported by Taliban police officials in the area who said a majority of people inside the building were killed in the attack.
The Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also confirmed the incident, saying a Shiite mosque had come under attack in Kunduz where a “large number” of people were either killed or wounded.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though it was suspected to be orchestrated by Daesh militants with a history of attacking the minority Shiite community in Afghanistan.
“We are deeply grieved at the dastardly terrorist attack on a mosque today in Kunduz province of Afghanistan which has reportedly resulted in loss of innumerable precious lives and injuries to many others,” the Pakistan foreign office said in an official statement.
“The Government and people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with their Afghan brethren,” it continued. “We convey our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones and wish early recovery to the injured.”
Reuters quoted Dost Mohammad Obaida, the deputy police chief for Kunduz, as saying the attack may have been carried out by a suicide bomber.
“I assure our Shiite brothers that the Taliban are prepared to ensure their safety,” he said, adding that an investigation was underway.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan only a few days before the international forces pulled out of the war-ravaged country in August.
The new administration in Kabul has since tried to address a deepening economic crisis and consolidate its political control across the country.
Earlier this week, the Taliban said it had carried out a “decisive and successful” operation against Daesh by targeting its hideout in the northern part of the capital, Kabul.