Bombings hit two Shia mosques in Afghanistan, 72 killed

At least 72 people, including women and children, have been killed and scores of others injured in two bomb attacks that targeted two Shia mosques in Afghanistan.

At least 72 people, including women and children, have been killed and scores of others injured in two bomb attacks that targeted two Shia mosques in Afghanistan.

The first explosion rocked Imam Zaman mosque in the western district of Dasht-e-Barchi in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Friday as worshipers had gathered for prayers.

A top security official said security forces at the scene had removed at least 39 bodies, but the exact number of casualties was still unknown.

The second blast targeted a mosque in the central province of Ghor, leaving at least 33 people dead, said Iqbal Nezami, a spokesman for the Ghor provincial police.

Concerns are growing over what appears to be an alarming spread of Shia killings in Afghanistan.

Late last month, a bomber detonated an explosive device outside another Shia mosque in Kabul, killing at least six people. Daesh claimed the attack, which came just ahead of Ashura mourning rituals that mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, and 72 of his companions in 680 AD.