Kabul: Dozens killed after suicide bomber detonates vest at mosque
At least 32 people have been killed and 64 others injured in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Kabul, officials have said.
The attacker entered the Baqir ul Olum mosque and detonated a suicide vest among a crowd of people, the Afghan interior ministry said in a statement.
Worshippers had gathered at the mosque to mark the Shia ceremony of Arbaeen, which comes 40 days after the major festival of Ashura.
Islamic State has claimed the attack via the jihadist-linked Amaq news agency.
Worshipper Nadir Ali said: "I heard a blast and dust covered the whole mosque.
"When the dust settled down, I saw the mosque was full of flesh and blood. I was injured in my waist and had to crawl out of the mosque."
Another witness, Aminullah Alizada, said: "I saw lots of dead bodies and wounded being transferred to Kabul hospital."
Government chief executive Abdullah Abdullah called the attack a "war crime and an act against Islam and humanity".
He said: "This attack is against religions, faiths, humanity, human ideologies and every human belief. This is a sign of barbarism and cruelty.
"Afghans care for the blood of their people. Our security forces will hold the perpetrators accountable by bringing them to justice."
He added: "While we mourn the loss of our loved ones, we must make sure to work for unity and avoid the enemy plots that divide us by titles."
In a statement, the US Embassy in Kabul said the attack was "another demonstration of contempt for religious tolerance and communal harmony by the enemies of peace and progress."
The bombing comes a month after militants attacked a Shia ceremony at a shrine in Kabul, killing 17 people.
A day later, 14 people died in a similar attack in the city of Mazar-e Sharif.
