Afghanistan: Deadly suicide attack hits Kunduz mosque during Friday prayers, at least 100 killed

An explosion rocked a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan's Kunduz province on Friday, killing and wounding at least 100 people, according to the UN and a Taliban official.

Witnesses reported hearing the blast as they gathered for afternoon prayers at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque.

"This afternoon, an explosion took place in a mosque of our Shiite compatriots ... as a result of which a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter. He added that a special unit had arrived on the scene to investigate.

The UN mission to Afghanistan said initial information indicated "more than 100 people killed and injured in a suicide blast inside the mosque."

If confirmed, a death toll of dozens would make Friday's blast the deadliest attack since US-led forces left the country at the end of August.

No claim of responsibility

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast. A Taliban official cited by the AFP news agency said the explosion was a suicide attack.

Afghanistan has been hit by several deadly bombings in recent weeks, including one at a mosque in Kabul.

The Taliban leadership — which took power in August amid the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops — has been grappling to curb attacks by the local Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State Khorasan. The group has long been targeting the Shiite community in Sunni-majority Afghanistan.