Explosion in mosque leaves multiple casualties in Kabul

KABUL - A number of people were killed or wounded after an explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, eyewitnesses said.

"A large number of worshippers were affected by the forces of the explosion which occurred at midday," Mohammad Kabir told Xinhua.

"The worshippers in Khalifa Sahib Mosque in Sera-e-Allawoddin area of Karta-e-Sah locality in western Kabul were the apparent target of the blast. The nature of the blast has not been determined. It could be a suicide bomb blast," he said.

The Taliban security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures.

The attack came shortly after Friday prayers when a group of worshippers were ritualizing Zikr, a special religious practice, to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

In recent weeks, the war-torn country was hit by a series of terror attacks reportedly staged by militants of the Islamic State (IS) group opposing the Taliban-led caretaker government.

On Thursday, nine people were killed and 13 wounded in two explosions in northern Mazar-i-Sharif city.