47 killed, 70 injured explosion at Shia mosque in Kandahar

At least 47 people have been killed and 70 other suffered injuries in an explosion inside a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's Kandahar.

According to Al Jazeera, the explosion took place during the Friday prayers.

Hafiz Sayeed, the Taliban's chief for Kandahar's department of culture and information, reported the number of dead and wounded, Al Jazeera reported.

Interior ministry spokesman Sayed Khosti said on Twitter: "We are saddened to learn that an explosion took place in a mosque of the Shia brotherhood in the first district of Kandahar city in which a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded."

Taliban special forces arrived in the area "to determine the nature of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice", he added.

The United Nations had condemned the latest terror attack at a Shia mosque in Kandahar. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said perpetrators of the attack need to be held responsible.

"Terrorism continues in Afghanistan with at least 30 killed, scores injured, in suicide attack at Kandahar's largest Shia mosque at the time of Friday prayers. UN condemns the latest atrocity targeting a religious institution and worshippers. Those responsible need to be held to account," the UNAMA tweeted.

( With inputs from ANI )