Mosque blast kills 12 in eastern Afghanistan

Twelve people have been killed when explosives, which were being transported by suspected Taliban members, accidentally went off inside a mosque in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Ghazni.

Local official Qasim Desewal said on Saturday that four civilians and eight militants died in the blast during evening prayers in the Andar district of the province on Friday.

He added that the Taliban had apparently stopped at the mosque while traveling, and the explosives they were carrying detonated while they were inside.

The explosion was on the same day as a major Taliban assault on an international compound in Kabul left dozens of people dead.

A Taliban spokesman claimed that at least 44 people were killed in the attack, and the fatalities mostly included CIA agents.

On Saturday morning, a bomber died when his explosives-rigged vest went off prematurely in the capital, Kabul.

Police spokesman, Hashmatullah Stanekzai, said no one else was killed or wounded in the explosion.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but the country is still gripped by insecurity.

In late April, the Taliban announced the start of their annual "spring offensive" against US-led and Afghan forces, vowing a new wave of attacks across Afghanistan.

The militant group said it would use "every possible tactic" to inflict casualties on Afghan and US-led forces. They specifically mentioned insider attacks, and bomb attacks.

The announcement prompted the Afghan authorities to beef up security in major cities across the country, including Kabul.
Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/25/305346/explosion-kills-12-at-afghan-mosque/