Senior Afghan cleric killed in mosque blast in city of Herat

Herat: An explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing a prominent cleric, Taliban officials said.

The death toll was expected to rise, they said.

The blast went off in the Guzargah Mosque in the western city of Herat during Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week when places of worship are particularly crowded.

The explosion killed Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a prominent cleric who was known across Afghanistan for his criticism of Afghanistan’s Western-backed governments over the past two decades.

Ansari was seen as close to the Taliban, who seized control over the country a year ago as foreign forces withdrew.

His death was confirmed by the chief Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid.

The spokesman for Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said there were more dead and wounded, but could not provide details.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday’s blast.

Previous mosque attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State extremist group, which has carried out a series of attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, as well as Taliban targets.

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, Islamic State attacked several mosques in suicide attacks during Friday prayers, with a focus on targeting Shiite Muslims.

Islamic State followers are also Sunnis and consider Shiites to be infidels.