An Afghan resident carries holy Quran books inside of the Imam Zaman Shiite mosque the day after a suicide attack during Friday evening prayers, in Kabul on October 21, 2017. A strong smell of blood and flesh permeated the Imam Zaman mosque in Kabul on October 21 hours after dozens of Shiite worshippers were slaughtered by a suicide bomber during evening prayers. Broken glass and dust covered the red carpet, soaked in the blood of the men, women and children who had been praying on Friday when the attacker blew himself up, causing carnage in the cavernous prayer hall. | AFP
No fewer than 60 people were killed on Friday, October 20, 2017 in two separate attacks on mosques in Afghanistan.
Officials say a gunman entered a Shia Muslim mosque in Kabul before opening fire and detonating an explosive, killing at least 39 worshippers.
An attack on a Sunni Muslim mosque in Ghor province same day, also killed 20 people.
No groups have so far claimed responsibility for the attacks but so-called Islamic State (IS) has previously targeted Shia mosques across Afghanistan.
The new attacks bring to at least 176 the number of people killed in bomb attacks across the country this week.
A witness told the BBC that the scene at Kabul’s Imam Zaman mosque, in the west of the city, looked like a “front line”.
Another witness, Mahmood Shah Husaini, said people had been praying when the bomber detonated his explosives.
The attacker is reported to have opened fire as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers, before detonating a bomb.
Kabul police spokesman Basir Mojahid confirmed the incident at the Shia mosque in Kabul, but did not give further details.
The attack on the Sunni mosque in Ghor, central Afghanistan, also killed a pro-government militia commander, according to reports.
The Shia mosque of Imam Zaman in Kabul was one of two attacked during Friday prayers | HEDAYATULLAH AMID/EPA
Afghan men weep inside the Imam Zaman Shiite mosque after the suicide attack. | WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP/Getty Images
Afghan men collect remains of belongings inside a damaged mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, a day after a suicide attack. Suicide bombers struck two mosques in Afghanistan during Friday prayers, the Shiite mosque in Kabul and a Sunni mosque in western Ghor province at the end of a particularly deadly week for the troubled nation. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
Afghan security forces stand at the site of an attack at a Shiite mosque named Imam-e-Zaman in Dasht-e-Barchi in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday. In the attack in Kabul, a suicide bomber walked into the Imam Zaman Mosque, a Shiite mosque in the western Dashte-e-Barchi neighbourhood where he detonated his explosives vest, killing 30 and wounding 45, said Maj. Gen. Alimast Momand at the Interior Ministry. | RAHMAT ALIZADAH/ XINHUA/SIPA USA/TNS
An Afghan resident carries holy Quran books inside of the Imam Zaman Shiite mosque the day after a suicide attack during Friday evening prayers, in Kabul on October 21, 2017. A strong smell of blood and flesh permeated the Imam Zaman mosque in Kabul on October 21 hours after dozens of Shiite worshippers were slaughtered by a suicide bomber during evening prayers. Broken glass and dust covered the red carpet, soaked in the blood of the men, women and children who had been praying on Friday when the attacker blew himself up, causing carnage in the cavernous prayer hall. | WAKIL KOHSAR /AFP
An Afghan resident carries holy Quran books inside of the Imam Zaman Shiite mosque the day after a suicide attack during Friday evening prayers, in Kabul on October 21, 2017. A strong smell of blood and flesh permeated the Imam Zaman mosque in Kabul on October 21 hours after dozens of Shiite worshippers were slaughtered by a suicide bomber during evening prayers. Broken glass and dust covered the red carpet, soaked in the blood of the men, women and children who had been praying on Friday when the attacker blew himself up, causing carnage in the cavernous prayer hall. | AFP
Afghan security officials inspect the scene of a suicide bomb attack targeting Shiite Muslims during Friday | WSJ
