UPDATE 2 – Suicide bombers attack mosques in Afghanistan, killing at least 72

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By BNO NEWS

A suicide bomber has targeted a Shia mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul, killing at least 39 people and injuring dozens more, local officials say. At least 33 others were killed when a blast hit a mosque in Ghor province.

The attack in the capital happened just after 6 p.m. local time when a man entered the Imam Zaman Mosque in west Kabul, where more than 100 people were gathered for Friday prayers. The man then opened fire before blowing himself up.

The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed that at least 39 people had been killed and 45 others were injured, some of whom were taken to area hospitals in critical condition. Children were reported to be among the dead.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday’s deadly attack. The attack appeared to target Shia Muslims who are a minority in Afghanistan and have long been targeted by the Islamic State (ISIS) group.

Around the same time as the attack in Kabul, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Sunni mosque in central Ghor province. Only few details about the attack were immediately available, but the bombing appeared to target a local politician. At least 33 people were killed.

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