IS group claim Afghan mosque attack as toll rises to 47

An Afghan man inspects the inside of a mosque following a suicide bomber attack in the city of Kandahar, southwest Afghanistan, Oct 15, 2021. witness. (SIDIQULLAH KHAN / AP)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – The death toll from Friday's suicide explosions at a mosque in Kandahar city, capital of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, has risen to 47, while 90 others were wounded, a local official confirmed on Saturday.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement posted by the group’s Amaq news agency on Friday.

READ MORE: At least 35 killed in blast at Shi'ite mosque in Kandahar

Two Islamic State fighters shot the guards of the mosque dead, broke in and blew themselves up between two groups of worshippers, one of which consisted of around 300 people, according to the statement.

Haifz Sayyed from the Cultural and Information Directorate of local government confirmed that the death toll has risen to 47 while 90 others wounded.

It was the second week in a row that militants bombed Friday prayers and killed dozens of worshippers.

ALSO READ: Taliban say forces destroyed IS cell hours after Kabul blast