Imam among 18 dead in Afghanistan blast

AN EXPLOSION at one of the biggest mosques in western Afghanistan killed at least 18 people yesterday, including an influential imam who called for those who commit “the smallest act” against its government to be beheaded.

Images posted on Twitter showed what appeared to be blood-stained bodies scattered around the compound of Gazargah Mosque in Herat city, after the blast, which also injured 23 people.

Violence has largely declined since the Taliban returned to power last year, but several bomb blasts, some targeting minority communities, have rocked the country in recent months, many claimed by Islamic State (IS).

Hameedullah Motawakel, spokesman for the governor of Herat province, released details of the attack to the media in a text message. Zabihullah Mujahid, another government spokesman, confirmed Mujib ur Rahman Ansari, the imam of the mosque, was among the dead. “A strong … religious scholar of this country was martyred in a brutal attack,” he tweeted. Ansari was an influential cleric known for his fiery speeches. In July, during a religious gathering in Kabul, he strongly defended the Taliban.

“Whoever commits the smallest act against our Islamic government should be beheaded,” he said. “This (Taliban) flag has not been raised easily, and it will not be lowered easily.” He was the second pro-taliban cleric to be killed in a blast recently. IS said its suicide bombers targeted Rahimullah Haqqani at his madrassa in Kabul on Aug 11.