Eid congregation attacked: Suicide bomber kills over 40 in Afghan mosque
At least 50 wounded; almost half the dead were policemen.
KABUL/MAZAR-E-SHARIF:
A suicide bomber killed more than 40 people, including five children, when he struck at a mosque in northern Afghanistan after Eidul Azha prayers on Friday, officials said.
It was the worst death toll in a single attack in Afghanistan since 80 died on December 6 last year in a suicide blast at a shrine in Kabul on the Ashura day.
At least 50 others were wounded as the bomb ripped through the crowd of worshippers in Maymana, capital of Faryab province,
Regional police chief General Abdul Khaliq Aqsai pinned the blame on the Taliban; however, the militant group’s spokesman said they were investigating to find out who was responsible.
“The suicide bomber detonated explosives when our countrymen were congratulating each other on the Eid holiday,” said Lal Muhammad Ahmadzai, spokesman for the police in the north, adding that almost half of the dead were police.
Aqsai said he believed the attack was revenge for the killing of the Taliban’s “shadow governor” for the province in a clash with security forces on Thursday.
The attacker was wearing a police uniform when he blew himself up at the entrance to the city’s packed Eid Gah mosque, deputy provincial governor Abdul Satar Barez told AFP.
“We have 42 dead – more than 20 are security forces and the rest of them are civilians, including five or six children,” he said. “Around 51 are wounded – 15 of them critically.”
The attack, at around 9 am local time on the first day of Eid, came just before President Hamid Karzai repeated his call for the Taliban to join the government.
Karzai strongly condemned the mosque attack in a statement, calling the perpetrators “the enemies of Islam and humanity”.
Pakistan strongly condemned the suicide attack. Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Ali Khan, in a statement, said Pakistan conveys its deepest condolences to the government and the people of Afghanistan over the tragic incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.Our two countries face the common threat of terrorism, and Pakistan is committed to work closely with Afghanistan to eliminate this scourge,” the spokesman said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2012.
A suicide bomber killed more than 40 people, including five children, when he struck at a mosque in northern Afghanistan after Eidul Azha prayers on Friday, officials said.
It was the worst death toll in a single attack in Afghanistan since 80 died on December 6 last year in a suicide blast at a shrine in Kabul on the Ashura day.
At least 50 others were wounded as the bomb ripped through the crowd of worshippers in Maymana, capital of Faryab province,
Regional police chief General Abdul Khaliq Aqsai pinned the blame on the Taliban; however, the militant group’s spokesman said they were investigating to find out who was responsible.
“The suicide bomber detonated explosives when our countrymen were congratulating each other on the Eid holiday,” said Lal Muhammad Ahmadzai, spokesman for the police in the north, adding that almost half of the dead were police.
Aqsai said he believed the attack was revenge for the killing of the Taliban’s “shadow governor” for the province in a clash with security forces on Thursday.
The attacker was wearing a police uniform when he blew himself up at the entrance to the city’s packed Eid Gah mosque, deputy provincial governor Abdul Satar Barez told AFP.
“We have 42 dead – more than 20 are security forces and the rest of them are civilians, including five or six children,” he said. “Around 51 are wounded – 15 of them critically.”
The attack, at around 9 am local time on the first day of Eid, came just before President Hamid Karzai repeated his call for the Taliban to join the government.
Karzai strongly condemned the mosque attack in a statement, calling the perpetrators “the enemies of Islam and humanity”.
Pakistan strongly condemned the suicide attack. Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Ali Khan, in a statement, said Pakistan conveys its deepest condolences to the government and the people of Afghanistan over the tragic incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.Our two countries face the common threat of terrorism, and Pakistan is committed to work closely with Afghanistan to eliminate this scourge,” the spokesman said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2012.