SW News: Yet another suicide bomb explosion has rocked Afghanistan, claiming the lives of close to 40 people. The blasts took place in a Shia mosque in the city of Kandahar on Friday while the afternoon prayers were going on. Visuals circulating on social media show the damaged interiors of the Bibi Fatima mosque with its shattered windows and bodies of worshipers lying on the ground.

According to local media reports, the mosque was filled with worshippers when the blast took place. An offshoot of the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the explosion in a statement. According to reports, two attackers gunned down the guards before entering the building and blowing themselves up.

According to the AFP reporter, the armed men opened fire after the prayers had concluded on Friday. The firing was soon followed by an explosion. Around 40 people were dead, while many were injured. The Taliban special forces took control of the situation and sent ambulances to ferry the victims to the hospital. They also asked the people to donate their blood to all the victims wounded by the blast.

The Islamic State-K (IS-K) is an offshoot of the IS militants. In the past, the IS-K has carried out several attacks in Afghanistan and it is opposed to the Taliban rule. Kandahar is the second-largest city in the country and is the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban. Last Friday, another suicide attack took place in another Shia mosque during Friday prayers, taking the lives of at least 50 people.

The IS-K is the deadliest Sunni Muslim militant group in the country. They have targeted the country’s security forces, politicians, ministries, religious minorities, military, government, and international agencies. They have also frequently targeted the Shia Muslim minority group and see them as heretics. At least 10 percent of the population in Afghanistan are Shia Muslims.