Afghan ambulances arrive at the site of an attack in Kabul on July 1, 2019./ AFPAt least 14 people were killed and dozens more wounded when a busy market in northern Afghanistan was hit by mortar fire, officials said Saturday.
“Fourteen civilians were killed and 40 — including women and children — were wounded,” Rezaee told AFP.He said the Taliban had been trying to hit an army checkpoint near the market. The insurgent group did not immediately comment. Also Friday, a bomb detonated inside a Shia mosque in Ghazni city in central Afghanistan, killing two worshippers and wounding 20 more, according to Ghazni governor spokesman Aref Noori.
The Islamic State group’s Afghan affiliate, which has a growing footprint, has conducted frequent prior attacks on Shia targets. While Afghanistan is a mainly Sunni country, it has a sizeable Shia minority, mainly represented by the Hazara community.