Afghanistan Explosion: 15 Killed, 20 Injured In Deadly Bomb Blast At Afghan Koran Reading Ceremony

The incident took place in the restive Ghazni province earlier in the day when an explosive-laden motorcycle blew up inside a house in the Gilan district.

Afghan municipality workers clean the remains of a vehicle after a bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 13. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: At least 15 civilians were killed and other 20 were injured in an explosion at a Koran recitation ceremony in Central Afghanistan, country Interior Ministry said on Friday. As per reports, the incident took place in the restive Ghazni province earlier in the day when an explosive-laden motorcycle blew up inside a house in the Gilan district. No group has so far claimed the blast. Eleven out the 15 dead in the incidents were children, the reports said. "Most of the victims in Friday’s attack were under 18 years old, Wahidullah Jumazada," spokesman for the provincial governor of Ghazni, said. Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian informed local media that a gathering for the recitation of the holy Quran was underway at the time of the attack.​​​​​​​ Over the recent past, Afghanistan has been severely hit by violence even as the Afghan government and the insurgent Taliban have been holding meetings since months to discuss the nearly two decade-old war. Western countries have begun a sharp troop drawdown. As per media reports, at least 10 government officials and aides have been killed by “sticky bombs” in recent weeks, mostly in the capital, Kabul. The recent blast took place days after four civilians were killed in a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, Khogyani district. "A roadside bomb exploded in the Kodakhel area of Zawa village late last afternoon and killed four civilians, including the driver," Shams-ul-Haq Safi said as quoted by Sputnik. Before this, Mahboobullah Mohebi, the deputy governor of the Afghan capital, Kabul and his secretary both died on Tuesday when a device attached to their car exploded. Even a deputy provincial council member died after a similar attack in Ghor province. Journalists, activists and other political figures in the country have been targeted in recent weeks. Kabul has also witnessed attacks by rockets twice this month and recently saw ambush on educational centres, including a massacre of students at a university. The Islamic State group said it had carried out the student killings and one of the rocket attacks.