Iran Press/ Asia: At least five civilians were killed in a bomb blast at the entrance to a Kabul mosque Sunday, a Taliban official said, describing the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since U.S. forces left at the end of August.
An apparent roadside bomb went off at the gate of the sprawling Eidgah Mosque in Kabul at a time when a memorial service was being held for the mother of Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Qari Saeed Khosti confirmed the deaths and said that multiple casualties had been reported in the explosion.
Qari Saeed Khosty, a spokesperson for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said that three people had been detained in connection with the incident.
The area around the mosque was cordoned off by the Taliban, who maintained a heavy security presence. Later in the afternoon, the site was cleaned. The only sign of the blast was slight damage to the ornamental arch by the entrance gate.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August, the ISIS terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in the country.
Attacks in Kabul have so far been rare, but in recent weeks ISIS has shown signs it is expanding its footprint beyond the east and closer toward the capital.
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