Suicide Bombers Kill At Least 37, Injure 70 at Crowded Afghanistan Mosque: 'Everyone Is Shocked'

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One week after an ISIS bombing in northern Afghanistan killed 46 people inside a mosque, an attack Friday caused at least 37 casualties at another Shiite mosque in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar, multiple outlets report.

A reporter stationed in Kandahar shared with Reuters that local eyewitnesses said there were multiple suicide bombers, adding to the news outlet: "The situation is very bad. Mirwais hospital is messaging and calling on young people to give blood" for the injured.

More than 70 people were wounded in the bombing, BBC News reported, noting that Friday prayers are the most attended weekly services.

A Taliban spokesperson confirmed the explosion to the Associated Press and said there is an ongoing investigation.

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One eyewitness, 40, who survived the attack told The Washington Post, "First I heard gunfire and then explosions followed. Blood was everywhere." Another 26-year-old told the outlet, "Everyone is shocked. Shiites in Kandahar were never attacked before."

RELATED: 'The Taliban Are at My Back Door': How a Dad of 5 Fled Afghanistan with His Wife and Kids

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In August, the U.S. withdrew from the Afghan capital of Kabul, ending the country's longest-ever military operation. While the White House has touted this logistical feat, the Biden administration has also acknowledged that the chaos in the Afghan capital caught them by surprise as the government evaporated in the face of a Taliban offensive that reached the gates of Kabul in a matter of weeks while America wrapped up its planned exit.

The Afghan army, bolstered by tens of billions in weaponry and support but worn down by institutional dysfunction and at cross-purposes with U.S. strategy, did not oppose the Taliban.

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Earlier this week, President Joe Biden met virtually with G20 Leaders, discussing Afghanistan and counterterrorism efforts.

The White House said in a statement, "The United States remains committed to working closely with the international community and using diplomatic, humanitarian and economic means to address the situation in Afghanistan and support the Afghan people."