Suicide bombers struck a crowded Shia mosque in Kabul late Thursday, killing 6 people in the latest in a series of militant attacks to rattle the Afghan capital during the holy month of Ramazan.
At least eight others were wounded when the bombers blew themselves up in the kitchen of Al Zahra mosque after police prevented them from entering the prayer hall packed with worshippers.
The carnage comes at a time Kabul is already on edge following a wave of deadly bombings, which triggered angry public protests calling for the resignation of President Ashraf Ghani’s government over spiralling insecurity.
“Terrorist attack on Al Zahra mosque in west of Kabul,” ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. “Three civilians and one policeman was killed and eight others were wounded.”
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault, but minority Shia areas have been frequently targeted by the militant Islamic State (IS) group in the past.
The rise of IS has raised the spectre of sectarian discord in Afghanistan, something that the Sunni-majority country has largely been spared despite decades of war.
Last year Afghanistan witnessed a wave of attacks on Shias claimed by IS.
The attack occurred as worshippers were preparing for an all-night congregation on a night of Ramazan that holds special significance for Shias.
