Suicide Blast Kills at least 26 Praying at Mosque in Afghanistan

A suicide blast at a mosque in an army base killed at least 26 Friday prayers and wounded 50  in the Ismail Khel district of Khost province in Afghanistan.

Ariana News Agency- All those killed in the suicide attack were working for the Afghan security forces, according to Capt. Abdullah, a military spokesman in Khost who goes by only one name.

The blast may have been set off by a suicide bomber or a remotely detonated bomb but nothing was officially confirmed and details were sketchy. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion.

 No group still claimed responsibility.

However, the Taliban has launched a series of high-profile attacks against Afghan security forces in recent weeks. The militants are waging a war to oust the Western-backed Afghan government and expel foreign forces from the country.

Hundreds of Afghan security guards have been killed, their checkpoints destroyed and weapons seized by the hardline Islamist fighters.

This attack came three days after a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a gathering of religious scholars in Kabul, killing 55 people.

Officials said more than 90 others were injured at the event marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad in a banquet hall.

Official Reaction 

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement as “anti-Islamic and inhumane.” He also wanted to know how the army’s security was breached, demanding a swift investigation and the officials responsible held accountable.

It was the latest in a relentless, near-daily onslaughts in Afghanistan, where the Taliban regularly target Afghan military and police forces throughout the country.