At least 7 killed, 41 wounded in blast near Kabul mosque

At least seven people have been killed and 41 others injured in a blast in the capital city of Kabul, just weeks after a series of bombings in the war-torn country, health officials have said.

According to officials at Italian-NGO run Emergency Hospital near the site of the explosion in the Afghan capital, the explosion happened near a mosque in Wazir Akbar Khan district in central Kabul as people were streaming out from Friday prayers.

“After prayers, when people wanted to come out from the mosque, a blast happened,” said Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran, adding that “all casualties are civilians, the exact number is not clear yet.”

Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Nafy Takor told AFP that at least seven people had been killed and 41 others were wounded, including children.

“The explosion occurred when worshippers were heading home,” Takor said, adding the explosives were placed in a car.

Emergency Hospital said it had received 14 people from the blast, of whom four were already dead on arrival.

Press TV has learned that the blast was caused by an I-E-D bomb blast, which released column of black smoke into the sky and shots rang out several minutes after the blast in the city’s diplomatic quarter.

Security forces have cordoned off the area, and, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor, the main cause of the incident is under investigation.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the bombings so far.

SS