Bomb strikes Kabul mosque

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A religious student at the site of a bombing at a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday Associated Press/Photo by Rahmat Gul

An explosion rocked a mosque just as Friday prayers started on Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of a month of fasting during Ramadan. The bombing in the northern district of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, left 12 people dead, including the imam, and about 15 others sustained injuries.

Who was behind the attack? No group claimed responsibility. The Taliban denied any involvement and condemned the bombing. The extremist group had announced a three-day cease-fire, which ends Saturday, during the Islamic holiday. The Taliban also denied it had anything to do with a car bombing that targeted a girls’ school in Kabul last week, killing more than 90 people. The Islamic State remains active in the country.

Dig deeper: Read my World Tour report on the increased attacks in Afghanistan amid the U.S. troop withdrawal.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks