Blast kills prayer leader in eastern Afghanistan

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - A prayer leader was killed and eight other worshipers wounded in an explosion at a mosque in Afghanistan’s eastern province on Friday, an official said.

Mohammad Naseem, governor of Monad Dara district, told Anadolu Agency the mosque was targeted with improvised explosive device in Hazar Nao village.

The area bordering Pakistan's restive tribal belt is marred by pro-Daesh and Taliban insurgency.

The regional public hospital in the provincial capital Jalalabad city has pronounced the state of wounded men as stable.

Last month, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed concerns at the disturbing pattern of attacks directed at civilians in places of worship.

Since Jan. 1, 2016, the UNAMA has recorded 833 civilian casualties (261 killed and 572 injured) in 42 attacks targeting places of worship, religious leaders and worshipers.

In two such incidents in October 2017 alone, a Shia and a Sunni community mosques in different provinces were hit by suicide bombers, killing as many as 84.