Death toll from suicide blast at packed Afghan mosque rises to 50

The death toll from a suicide attack at a minority Shia mosque in the western Afghan province of Herat has soared to 50, Jalani Farhad, the provincial governor's spokesman, has told Al Jazeera.


Mehdi Hadid, a lawmaker from Herat, who went to the site soon after the explosion told The Associated Press that the scene was one of horrific carnage. He estimated at least 100 dead and wounded were scattered throughout the Jawadia Mosque.

"At around 8:00pm (1530 GMT) tonight, a terrorist attack was carried out on a mosque in the third security district of Herat city," Herat police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada told AFP news agency.

"Based on our initial information two terrorists were involved one of them wearing a suicide vest, who detonated himself while the second one was armed with a rifle. They are both dead," he added.

More than 50 people are believed to have been wounded. Many of them were brought to the main hospital in Herat city, the capital of the province.

The attack took place in the middle of evening prayers when the mosque was packed with about 300 worshippers.
 [aljazeera.com]
1/8/17