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At least 12 killed in Kabul mosque blast, shattering Eid ceasefire

Worshippers comfort each other at the scene of an attack on a mosque in the outskirts of Kabul - HEDAYATULLAH AMID/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 
Worshippers comfort each other at the scene of an attack on a mosque in the outskirts of Kabul - HEDAYATULLAH AMID/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A bomb ripped through a mosque in northern Kabul during Friday prayers and killed 12 worshippers, Afghan police said.

Spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said the mosque's imam, Mofti Naiman, was among the dead. Another 15 people were wounded.

The bomb exploded as prayers had begun.

A worshipper at the mosque, Muhibullah Sahebzada, said he had just stepped into the mosque when the explosion went off. Stunned, he heard the sound of screams, including children, as smoke filled the mosque.

A worshipper reacts to the scene inside the mosque, where a bomb went off just as prayers began - HEDAYATULLAH AMID/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 
A worshipper reacts to the scene inside the mosque, where a bomb went off just as prayers began - HEDAYATULLAH AMID/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Mr Sahebzada said he saw several bodies on the mosque floor and at least one child was among the wounded.

It appeared the explosive device had been hidden inside then pulpit at the front of the mosque.

"I was afraid of a second explosion so I came immediately to my home," he said.

An image circulating on social media showed three bodies lying on the floor of the mosque, which showed minor damage.

An Afghan man holds a blood-stained turban and cap found at the scene of the blast - Rahmat Gul /AP
An Afghan man holds a blood-stained turban and cap found at the scene of the blast - Rahmat Gul /AP

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but initial police investigations suggest the Imam may have been the target, police spokesman Mr Faramarz said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied any connection to the blast, instead accusing Afghanistan's intelligence agency of being behind it.

Both the Taliban and government routinely blame each other for attacks. Seldom are the culprits ever identified, and the public is rarely informed of the results of investigations into the many bombings in the capital.

Afghan security personnel arrive at the site of the blast. The attack came as the US continues to pull out its military from Afghanistan - Rahmat Gul /AP
Afghan security personnel arrive at the site of the blast. The attack came as the US continues to pull out its military from Afghanistan - Rahmat Gul /AP

The explosion comes on the second day of a three-day ceasefire announced by the warring Taliban and Afghan government. The pause was for the Islamic festival Eid-al-Fitr, which follows the fasting month of Ramadan.

Until now many of the attacks in the capital have been claimed by the local Islamic State affiliate, but both the Taliban and government blame each other.

The most recent attack last week killed over 90 people, many of them pupils leaving a girls' school when a powerful car bomb exploded. The Taliban denied involvement and condemned the attack.

The relentless violence comes as the US and allied NATO forces continue with their final withdrawal from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of war.