A catastrophic explosion occurred at a mosque in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province during the funeral prayers of the region’s former deputy governor.
Local reports suggest that approximately 50 individuals died, and another 25 were injured during the explosion at the Nabawi mosque in the Hesa-e-Awal area of Faizabad.
Witnesses on the scene described that a suicide bomber caused the explosion, directly targeting the attendees. Among the casualties was Mulvi Saifullah Samim, the ex-chief of police for Baghlan province.
A resident asserted that the deadly blast, suspected to have been conducted by a suicide bomber, took the lives of roughly 50 people, including high-ranking officials and the former police chief, Samim. Those injured were swiftly taken to Faizabad Hospital for immediate medical attention.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), who stated that the assault was in retaliation for an operation in Kuner province.
The Taliban administration has been conducting operations against ISKP members, who have been responsible for several significant attacks in city centers.
The ISKP has also been attacking officials from the Taliban administration, with claims of assassinating the governor of the northern Balkh province in a strike on his office in March.