HERAT,
Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide attack on a Shi'ite mosque in the western
Afghan city of Herat killed more than 29 people and wounded more than 64 on
Tuesday, officials said.
More than
1,700 civilians have been killed in attacks in Afghanistan so far this year,
hitting confidence in the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani.
Abdulhai
Walizada, a local police spokesman, said there appeared to be more than one
attacker on Tuesday, with witnesses describing a suicide bomber who detonated
explosives and at least one other, a gunman who threw grenades at worshippers.
"Two
attackers entered the mosque and started shooting and throwing grenades at
people," said Mohammad Adi, a worshipper at the mosque who was injured in
the attack and taken to hospital.
Mohammad
Asif Rahimi, governor of Herat, said at least 29 people were killed and 64
wounded in the incident which came two months after an attack on a 12th century
mosque known as the Jama Masjid in Herat, in which seven people died.
There was no
claim of responsibility. But the Taliban, fighting to install strict Islamic
law and drive foreign troops out of Afghanistan, denied any involvement.
Slideshow (4
Images)
Ghani, whose
government has been under mounting pressure because of deteriorating security
across the country, condemned the bombing and called on religious scholars to
"raise their voices against the terrorist attacks".
Afghanistan
has traditionally been relatively free of the sectarian violence common in Iraq
or Syria but hardline Sunni militants from the local branch of Islamic State
have repeatedly attacked the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority in the past year.
The latest
attack comes as the U.S. administration considers sending more troops to
Afghanistan to bolster the NATO-led coalition advising and assisting Afghan
security forces.
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