Suicide blast followed by gunshots at a Shia mosque in Kabul kills three

A suicide bomber killed at least three people and wounded five more in an attack at mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Thursday, security officials said.

The suspected bomber tried to enter the mosque but was blocked by police, setting off a gun battle, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. The attacker then took refuge in a kitchen before detonating a bomb.

Eyewitnesses report having heard gunshots in the area immediately following the explosion, according to local media reports.

Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said police had been sent to the scene and



that there were casualties. Health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroo said one body was received at a local hospital, along with five wounded people.

The attack came as mosques around the city were crowded for a night of religious observances (Laylatul-Qadr) as part of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and Shia Muslims are also mourning the martyrdom of Imam Ali, grandson of Prophet.

The Al Zahra mosque is used by Kabul's Shia minority, who have been targeted by suicide bombings in the past, including an attack on a Shia mosque in November that killed more than 30 people.