17 Killed, 34 Injured in Mosque Attack in Afghanistan’s Khost Province

Basir Bina, spokesman for the provincial police, said people were gathered after afternoon prayers in the mosque, which was also being used as a voter registration centre for parliamentary elections due in October, Reuters reported.

He said the blast appeared to have been caused by explosives left in the mosque rather than by a suicide bomber.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, which adds to a series of attacks on voter centres since the registration process began in April. The Taliban, which has warned people against taking part in the election process, issued a statement denying any involvement.

Earlier this month, bombings at voter registration centers in the capital, Kabul, and in Baghlan province killed at least 63 people and wounded more than 100.

The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack in Kabul that targeted a Shiite populated district.

In a separate incident in the northern province of Faryab, seven people were killed when the car they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb early on Sunday morning, Mohammad Karim Yuresh, spokesman for Faryab police, said.