Explosion in mosque in Western Afghan City of Herat
An explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 18 people, including an extremist pro-Taliban cleric, and injuring another 21.
The blast went off in the Guzargah Mosque in the western city of Herat during Friday noon prayers, killing Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, an extremist pro-Taliban cleric who said at a gathering of clerics in Kabul in early July that anyone trying to overthrow the Taliban regime should be beheaded.
He also said: The banner of the Taliban was not raised easily and will not be easily lowered, and all religious scholars in Afghanistan must agree to behead anyone who commits any act against our “Islamic” government.
Habib Rahman Ansari, Mujib-ul Rahman’s brother was also killed in the explosion.
These two people close to the Taliban supported and justified the killing, suppression and martyrdom of Shias and Hazaras in Afghanistan.
Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari was a Salafi-oriented cleric in Afghanistan, who had always given sermons against the former government of Afghanistan, favored the Taliban, was excessively religious, opposed women’s basic rights and cultural customs, and these strong positions made him famous.
In his press conferences, he did not allow women to report to attend the press conference.
According to what was reported by some local sources and Arab websites, ISIS claimed the responsibility for the Herat mosque bombing, due to the growing disputes between the Taliban and ISIS.
The Herat mosque draws followers of Sunni Islam, the dominant stream in Afghanistan that is also followed by the Taliban.
In the year since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, ISIS attacked several mosques in suicide attacks during Friday prayers, with a focus on targeting Shia Muslims.
