Afghanistan | Blast Outside Eid Gah Mosque In Kabul. Taliban Spokesperson Says 'A Number Of Civilians' Killed

Kabul Mosque Blast: Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Twitter informed that the blast struck near the entrance of the Eid Gah Mosque in Kabul.

New Delhi: A blast outside a mosque in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul killed "a number of civilians" on Sunday, a senior Taliban official said, as reported by news agency AFP.

Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter the blast occurred near the entrance of the Eid Gah Mosque in Kabul.

As per the report, Zabihullah Mujahid had on Saturday posted about a prayer ceremony for his mother, who died last week, on social media. The post informed that the ceremony was going to be held at the mosque on Sunday afternoon, adding that "all people and friends are invited to attend".

A nearby shopkeeper identified as Ahmadullah told AFP: "I heard the sound of an explosion near the Eid Gah Mosque followed by gun firing".

"Just ahead of the blast the Taliban had blocked the road to hold a prayer ceremony for Zabihullah Mujahid's mother in Eid Gah Mosque," he was quoted as saying in the report.

Taliban Fighters Not Harmed

Another Taliban spokesman, Bilal Karimi, told the Associated Press that the Taliban fighters were not harmed in the attack.

As per his statement in the report, those killed in the attack were civilians standing outside the mosque gate. He did not provide any figure for the number killed and said an investigation was underway.

AP further reported that an Italian-funded emergency hospital in Kabul tweeted it had received four people wounded in the blast.

It said the area around the mosque was cordoned off by the Taliban following the blast as they maintained a heavy security presence. The site was cleaned later in the afternoon. The only sign of the explosion was the slight damage to the ornamental arch by the entrance gate, AP informed.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, notably, attacks by Islamic State group militants against the Taliban have increased since the latter's takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August. 

As per the AP report, IS maintains a strong presence in the eastern province of Nangarhar and deems the Taliban as an enemy. It has claimed several attacks against the insurgent group, including several killings in the provincial capital of Jalalabad.

Meanwhile, the Mosque blast comes after the IS suicide bomb attack that took place in late August and targeted American evacuation efforts outside Kabul's international airport. The blast killed 169 Afghans and 13 US service members and is considered to be one of the deadliest attacks in the country in years.

IS-affiliated Islamic State of Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for it.

IS has shown signs of its attempts at expanding its footprint beyond the east and closer toward the capital in recent weeks.

Taliban fighters had on Friday raided an IS hideout just north of Kabul in Parwan province. The raid came after an IS roadside bomb wounded four Taliban fighters in the area, AP reported.