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1st LD Writethru: 30 injured as blast hits mosque in N. Afghanistan

Xinhua, July 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Some 30 people were injured in a bomb attack that targeted a mosque in Pul-e- Khumri city, capital of northern Afghanistan's Baghlan province on Monday evening, the latest in a string of attacks during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, sources said.

The attack occurred shortly before evening prayers when the provincial governor and several local officials were distributing food for people at the mosque's courtyard. The injured were shifted to hospitals, where several wounded remained in critical condition, Abdul Qadim Niazai, deputy provincial governor, told Xinhua.

"Governor of Baghlan was safe and sound. A few members of provincial council and local businessmen were among the injured," said Niazai, who escaped the attack unhurt, adding that the obvious target of the attack were the visiting officials.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Earlier on the day, one person was wounded in two back to back explosions in Afghan capital of Kabul.

On Sunday evening, up to 33 people were killed while 23 others wounded in a suicide car bombing in eastern Khost province.

More than 970 civilians were killed and nearly 1,960 others were wounded in conflicts and Taliban-led insurgency in the first four months of 2015, according to figures released by the UN mission in the country. Endi