At least eight civilians were killed in a blast following an operation carried out by Afghan forces and the NATO-led coalition troops in eastern Afghan province of Wardak overnight, said a provincial government spokesman on Sunday.
“Initial reports said eight civilians were killed in the blast inside a mosque in Hassankhael area of Syedabad district in the early hours of Sunday,” spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said, adding “The victims were recovering bodies of militants numbered three to four, who took shelter in the mosque and were killed by joint forces in an operation hours earlier”. He said the blast might have been caused by explosive materials attached to a suicide vest used by the militants.
“More details will be released to the media as appropriate,” he said. Meanwhile, a police official who declined to be named said more than 13 civilians had been killed in the incident in the province, located 35 km to the west of Kabul.
However, resident Abdul Ghaffar said the coalition troops conducted a raid on a mosque where worshippers were offering morning prayers.
The foreign forces also fired at rescue workers who were retrieving dead bodies and injured persons from the debris, he said, claiming 15 civilians were killed.
But the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) insisted several armed insurgents were killed “after” they attacked Afghan and coalition security force in Syedabad.