<div align="justify">A suicide bomber and a gunman killed more than 20 people at a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan's main western city of Herat today, the latest attack to highlight a deteriorating security situation in the country.<br /><br />The assault on the Jawadya mosque in Herat, which is close to Afghanistan's border with Iran, came a day after the Islamic State group claimed a deadly attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul.<br /><br />"More than 20 bodies, and more than 30 wounded have so far been brought to the hospital," after the mosque attack, Rafeeq Shirzai, a spokesman for the hospital, told AFP.<br /><br />Herat police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada said the assault happened around 8:00 pm (local time) when "a terrorist attack was carried out on a (Shiite) mosque in the third security district of Herat city".<br /><br />"Based on our initial information two terrorists were involved one of them wearing a suicide vest, who detonated himself while the second one was armed with a rifle. They are both dead," he added.<br /><br />A reporter for AFP said he had seen a number of bodies brought out of the mosque, leading to fears of a heavy death toll.<br /><br />He reported seeing a body torn to pieces at the entrance, possibly that of the attacker, while others were lying in pools of blood inside, some still crying and moving.<br /><br />Afghan interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish initially said he thought it was a car bomb and tweeted that there was a possibility that it was a improvised explosive device.<br /><br />There was no immediate claim of responsibility but IS has been targeting Shiite minority crowds and mosques in Afghanistan for around a year.<br /><br />The attack comes a day after an attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul, which was claimed by the Islamic State group (IS), killed two people.<br /><br />IS has been expanding its footprint in eastern Afghanistan and has recently claimed responsibility for several devastating attacks in Kabul.<br /><br />But experts have previously questioned whether there are direct links between the group's local affiliate Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) and the central IS command.<br /><br />Yesterday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Iraqi embassy, allowing at least three other militants to breach the compound, unleashing an hours-long gun battle.<br /><br />The interior ministry later confirmed that two people -- a woman and a guard -- had died and two were policemen injured.<br /><br />A security source, who declined to be named, said IS could prove to be more dangerous than the Taliban in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Unlike the Taliban which has friends and foes among the international community, IS considers everyone their enemy and will keep attacking soft targets, he said.</div>
<div align="justify">A suicide bomber and a gunman killed more than 20 people at a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan's main western city of Herat today, the latest attack to highlight a deteriorating security situation in the country.<br /><br />The assault on the Jawadya mosque in Herat, which is close to Afghanistan's border with Iran, came a day after the Islamic State group claimed a deadly attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul.<br /><br />"More than 20 bodies, and more than 30 wounded have so far been brought to the hospital," after the mosque attack, Rafeeq Shirzai, a spokesman for the hospital, told AFP.<br /><br />Herat police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada said the assault happened around 8:00 pm (local time) when "a terrorist attack was carried out on a (Shiite) mosque in the third security district of Herat city".<br /><br />"Based on our initial information two terrorists were involved one of them wearing a suicide vest, who detonated himself while the second one was armed with a rifle. They are both dead," he added.<br /><br />A reporter for AFP said he had seen a number of bodies brought out of the mosque, leading to fears of a heavy death toll.<br /><br />He reported seeing a body torn to pieces at the entrance, possibly that of the attacker, while others were lying in pools of blood inside, some still crying and moving.<br /><br />Afghan interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish initially said he thought it was a car bomb and tweeted that there was a possibility that it was a improvised explosive device.<br /><br />There was no immediate claim of responsibility but IS has been targeting Shiite minority crowds and mosques in Afghanistan for around a year.<br /><br />The attack comes a day after an attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul, which was claimed by the Islamic State group (IS), killed two people.<br /><br />IS has been expanding its footprint in eastern Afghanistan and has recently claimed responsibility for several devastating attacks in Kabul.<br /><br />But experts have previously questioned whether there are direct links between the group's local affiliate Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) and the central IS command.<br /><br />Yesterday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Iraqi embassy, allowing at least three other militants to breach the compound, unleashing an hours-long gun battle.<br /><br />The interior ministry later confirmed that two people -- a woman and a guard -- had died and two were policemen injured.<br /><br />A security source, who declined to be named, said IS could prove to be more dangerous than the Taliban in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Unlike the Taliban which has friends and foes among the international community, IS considers everyone their enemy and will keep attacking soft targets, he said.</div>