At least 37 people were killed and 34 others injured as a suicide bomber blew his explosive up near a mosque in Maimana, the provincial capital of northern Afghan province of Faryab on Friday, an official said.
“A suicide bomber targeted a mosque while people were leaving the mosque building at around 9 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) Friday after the Eid-ul-Adah prayers in Maimana city, killing 32 people and injuring 34 others,” deputy to provincial governor Abdul Satar Bariz said.
He said the number of the casualties could rise further as many of the wounded said to be in critical conditions.
The blast caused a plume of grey smoke to rise above the scene.
The wounded, along with the bodies of the dead, have been taken to provincial capital hospitals, the official said, adding that those in critical conditions will be transferred to the neighboring Balkh province.
The Muslims’biggest three-day festival of Eid-ul-Adha falls on Friday Oct. 26, it is also known as festival of sacrifice and is being celebrated worldwide on the 10th day of Duhl-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic year.
After the special prayers of the festival, Afghans visit their relatives besides they also butcher cattle or sheep and distribute the meat to the poor.
Afghan security forces sealed off the scene, while ambulances and civilian cars evacuated the victims to the city’s hospitals.