Twin blasts rock Afghan

Khost : Burqa-clad suicide bombers struck a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan yesterday as it was crowded with worshippers for weekly prayers, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens in the latest attack on the minority. Officials have said they fear the death toll could rise after the assault, the latest targeting civilians who have borne the brunt of the violence in Afghanistan’s long conflict.

“Two suicide explosions happened during Friday prayers in the Khwaja Hasan area of Gardez,” said Abdullah Hasrat, spokesman for Paktia province near the Pakistan border. Provincial police chief General Raz Mohammad Mandozai also confirmed the presence of two suicide bombers, adding that the assailants were wearing burqas to hide their weapons and explosives. Once inside the mosque, the two attackers also opened fire on the crowd before detonating their bombs. He said at least 20 people had been killed and around 50 others injured.

Other officials said as many as 25 people had died. Gardez public health department chief Wilayat Khan Ahmadzai said that more than 70 people in total had been killed and wounded, with many rushed to the city’s civilian hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The Taliban later denied any involvement in the incident, according to a Whatsapp message from the group’s spokesman sent to reporters.