By: Khaliq Ebrahimi
Translated by: Mohammad Rezaie
Deadly blast in Imam Zaman mosque, Pule Khomri the capital city of Baghlan left tens killed and injured.
This incident occurred on Friday, , around 1:30PM, when the Hazara Shiite Muslims were praying at the mosque.
The security command of Taliban in Baghlan announced 7 were killed and 15 injured.
The local sources reported more casualties and they accused the security command of Baghlan of reporting the wrong information about the casualties. They said considering the number of the worshippers at the mosque, the casulaties far more than what the Baghlan security command has announced to the media.
Media reported contradicting reports of casualties due to severe control of Taliban at the area and Pule Khomri hospital.
The Silk Way Weekly could identify the identities of 20 people who were killed and 66 injured which the list of the victims have been provided as an annex at this report. A 9-year-old child and 20 men and women were killed in the explosion. The conditions of 13 people who were injured is reported unsatisfactory with severe wounds, the conditions of others have been reported good or improving.
Download here the list of victims and injured of the explosion in Imam-e- Zaman Mosque, Pul-e- Khoumri, Baghlan province.
What do the victims’ relatives say?
They complain of the lack of security in Pule Khomri and other areas where Hazaras and the Shiites live in Afghanistan. They urger Taliban to deliver their promise to ensure security of the religious and ethnic minority groups.
On the other hand, relatives of the victims complain of the lack of treatment facilities at the hospitals of Baghlan and neighboring provinces for treatment of the victims.
Hussain Ali, resident of Pule Khomri says three members of his family were injured and his son in law was killed in the blast. He added private hospitals did not receive the victims and only the one public hospital received the victims.
Hussain Ali said, “I searched all hospitals, they did not accept the victims, the even bandage those who were injured. Only the public hospital which treated some of the victims and transferred others to Kabul and Kundoz hospitals.” Hussain Ali added.
Hussain Ali told the Silk Way Weekly that Abduallah, his son, not only was not only severely injured but was deaf in the explosion. He had taken his son to Kabul and treated him in a private hospital.
Mohammad Safar and Mohammad Eisa the tow brother of Huaain Ali were also injured in the blast. Mohammad Safar is hospitalized in a Kudndoz hospital due to severe injuries and burns.
Sayyed Aqil, 30, was at the mosque when the blast occurred. But when he was conscious, he was in the hospital among the people who were inured in the explosion. He only remembers the horrific sound of the blast.
The central hospital of Baghlan did not have enough capacity to accept all the people with injuries, as a result some of them were transferred to Mazar e Sharif, center of Balkh, and some were transferred to Kundoz. Those who were severely injured died on the way.
Sayyed Aqil Shah told the Silk Way weekly that he lost his eardrum in the explosion, his hear was burnt and his head was bleeding. His injuries were treated in Mazar e Sharif hospital but his hearing problem has not been solved.
Ftima, wife of Mr. Akbari, 63, was killed in the blast. “I did not see her. Her nephews brought her from the mosque. May God did not show such time to no one.” He said.
Juma, a worker of Karkar coal mine, had gone for Friday prayer to the mosque. Rahman Akbari, nephew of Mohamamd Juma said he was close to the explosion area, and had reached to the mosque at the very moments the blast occurred, in order to take out those who were inured or killed out of the mosque. The mosque was full of the dead bodies.
Akbari and some other people start taking the victims out of the mosque. He did not know his uncle was among the victims, until he saw the dead body of his uncle. He said when he was taking out the dead body of his uncle, his uncle’s wife had reached to the door of the mosque. As his arms and legs were amputated and his brain was shattered, they did not want his wife see this.
Rahman added that Fatima was not in a good condition after the death of her wife, her health is not good, and she lives a hard life with her only daughter,19, deprived of education.
How did it happen?
It was about 1:30 PM when the explosion occurred at Imam Zaman mosque on the first street of Siloe shahr Pule Khomri in first district.
Media reported contradicting reports of the type of the incident but have not commented yet.
New York Times reported that a suicide bomber exploded his detonated explosives among the worshipers whey they were performing Friday prayer.
Euro News reported that according to the local witnesses explosives were implanted among the worshipers at the mosque.
Based on New York Times report, ISKP accepted the responsibility of the attack with publishing the photo of the suicide bomber.
The local people, also reported to media that a suicide bomber approached the door of the mosque and exploded the detonated explosives there.
ISKP has accepted the responsibility of a number of other attacks on Hazara Shiites in Afghanistan.
But Taliban say the groups has suppressed the ISKP and destroyed it in Afghanistan.
Reactions to the blast
Expulsion on Pule Khomri of Baghlan received wide reactions at the national and international.
Mohammad Mohaqes, one of Hazar leaders, wrote on his Facebook page Taliban shall prevent such attacks on Hazaras.
He added “Such attack are part of the plan of the current government or is the result of growth of radical Islamic groups in the country, widely supported by Taliban.”
Mohaqeq urged the UN and Human Rights organizations to investigate the tragic attacks on Hazara Shias of Afghanistan, and press the current government to ensure security of the people of Afghanistan.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq the representative of Afghanistan in the UN, reacted on Pule Khomri suicide attack and said attacking on civilians and worshippers had no religious and rational justifications.
He wrote on X page, “such terrorist attacks are the result of teaching and promoting radicalism at jihadi schools.”
The National Resistance Front in a statement blamed Taliban for the suicide attack on Imam Zaman mosque in Pule Khomri and said it was a false claim that Taliban had ensured security in Afghanistan. They cooperate with other terrorist groups.
Richard Bennet wrote on the X page ” Prevention, protection, accountability are needed for Afghanistan Shia population that continue to be targeted.”
Amnesty International posting a statement on X said “attack on Imam Zaman mosque shows continuity of attacks on Hazara Shias in Afghanistan.”
It added it shows the systematic attacks on Hazara shias in Afghanistan continues at the mosques, schools, sports clubs, passenger vehicles and public spaces.
UNAMA said that they were working on the ground to establish facts about the incident.
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