WEB DESK
At least 34 people were killed and another 94 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque on Friday in the capital of southeastern Paktia province, report Afghan news agency Pajhwok.
The attack took place at about 1:30pm at the mosque in the limits of the second police district of Gardez City, the provincial capital.
The governor’s spokesman, Abdullah Hasrat told Pajhwok Afghan News that at least 34 people had been killed and more than 94 others wounded in the suicide attack.
He said the dead and wounded were evacuated to the civil hospital, a private hospital and the military hospital in Gardez.
Area police officer Col. Jamil Hotak told Pajhwok that the blast site had been cordoned off by security forces.
An eyewitness, Shahid Haider, said the suicide blast was followed by gunfire and a second blast. He said a number of ambulances had arrived at the scene and the casualty toll might increase.
Provincial police chief said, the blast took place during Friday prayers in the Gardez city. Officials of Gardez public health department said, number of casualties may rise.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has condemned the attack, calling it inhumane. He said, people of Afghanistan will not be divided by sectarian violence.
The incident comes as urban areas across the country have been rocked by an increasing number of attacks in recent months, with both the Islamic State and Taliban insurgents targeting security forces and government installations.