Afghanistan: At least 14 killed, 32 injured in deadly explosions in Kabul & Mazar-i-S

Four explosions in Afghanistan's Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif claimed the lives of at least 14 people and injured 32 others. Afghanistan has been subject to a series of attacks allegedly carried out by the Islamic State (IS) group, which opposes the rule of Taliban in the country. After an explosion swept through a mosque in Police District (PD) 4, at least five worshippers were killed and 17 others were injured in Kabul on Wednesday. As per Xinhua, the incident happened as worshippers were praying in the Hazrat-e-Zekria Mosque. 

Mohammad Asif Waziri, a spokesperson for the provincial police department, claimed the blast in Kabul's mosque occurred roughly an hour after three consecutive explosions destroyed three van-buses in PD 10 and PD 5 in Mazar-i-Sharif, killing nine people and injuring 15 others. People who lost their lives were being transported during rush hour in the capital city of Balkh. Many Shiite Afghans, especially from the Hazara ethnicity, live in Mazar-i-Sharif, accounting for between 10% and 20% of Afghanistan's 38 million population.

Kabul's Emergency Hospital received five bodies

After the explosion in the mosque, Kabul's Emergency Hospital said that it received five bodies and more than a dozen injured people as a result of the incident. The perpetrators of the attacks were not immediately identified. However, it is speculated that  Islamic State in Khorasan Province, or IS-K might be behind the attack. The IS-K, which has been active in Afghanistan since 2014 is widely regarded as the country's most serious security threat. The Taliban have launched a massive crackdown against the militant group's headquarters in eastern Afghanistan, after their takeover last August when they seized power in Kabul and other parts of the country.

The Taliban have faced increased security concerns in recent months as the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a number of incidents, many of which have targeted Shi'a Muslims. Earlier, on April 30, ten people were killed and 15 others were injured in fatal bombings at the Khalifa Sahib Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. On May 13 three people were injured in an explosion at Kabul's Ayuob Saber Mosque, according to media reports.

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