A bomb blast near the Afghan city of Kandahar has killed at least 41 people and injured more than 70 others during Friday prayers.
Taliban officials said a suicide bomber struck during Friday prayers in the northern Afghan city of Kandahar, AFP reported.
"According to initial reports, the attack was a suicide bombing, which blew itself up inside the mosque, and a further investigation is under way," a local Taliban official said.
A spokesman for the city's main Mirwais Hospital said 33 bodies and 74 injured people had been brought to Mirwais Hospital.
The nature of the blast was not immediately known, but it came just a week after a suicide bombing at the Imambargah in the northern city of Kunduz claimed by ISIS. Eyewitnesses said three back-to-back explosions hit Imam Bargah mosque in Kandahar, one of the biggest mosques in the city, causing high casualties.#TOLOnews pic.twitter.com/Z2owaWzxrF
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Qari Saeed Khosti said the blast had caused "massive casualties".
Authorities are gathering details of the blast, he said.
The spokesman said in a tweet that "we are sorry to say that an explosion took place at an imambargah in the first district of Kandahar city in which several of our compatriots were killed and injured."
"Special forces from the Islamic Emirate have arrived at the scene to ascertain the nature of the blast and bring those responsible to justice," he said.
In videos and photos circulating on social media, many people can be seen on the floor of the Imambargah who are seriously injured.
The eyewitness said he heard three explosions, the first at the main gate of the Imambargah, the second at the south gate and the third at the ablution room.
Nematullah Wafa, a former member of the provincial council, said the blast took place at the Imambargah, causing heavy casualties. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.
It should be noted that this is the third blast at the mosque since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
Earlier on Friday, a blast during prayers at a mosque in Afghanistan's northeastern province of Kunduz killed 55 people and injured dozens.
The blast also targeted members of the Shiite community, which ISIS claimed was responsible.
ISIS has carried out a number of attacks in Afghanistan, taking a hard line against the Taliban, and has targeted members of other communities and schools of thought in Afghanistan.
Earlier, on October 3, a bomb blast outside a mosque in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed two people and injured several others.
The bomber struck near the entrance to Kabul's Eidgah Mosque, where the mother of Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was holding a condolence meeting.
It should be noted here that the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15 and since then they have been facing the threat of ISIS internally.
However, in a recent statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Islamic Emirate was pursuing them and that our forces were trying to find the roots of ISIS.
"In the last week and a half, we have arrested many people belonging to ISIS and destroyed many of their safe havens, while thwarting many of their attacks," Zabihullah Mujahid said.
