Explosion at major Kabul mosque injures several

At least six people were left injured after someone threw a hand grenade into the largest mosque in Kabul during afternoon prayer on Wednesday, an Afghan police spokesperson said.

Kabul police said one person was in custody after the attack on the 18th century Pul-e-Khishti mosque in the Afghan capital.

An Italian NGO that runs a medical center in the city told the German press agency DPA that seven people had been taken to the hospital needing treatment for serious injuries while another four were treated as outpatients.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. It comes days after a similar incident when a grenade was thrown into the middle of a market, killing one person and injuring 59 others. The Taliban blamed thieves for that attack.

The Pul-e-Khishti mosque is located in a heavily populated part of the city, DPA reported.

Violence continues under Taliban rule

The Taliban's takeover of power last August failed to bring an end to insurgent violence in Afghanistan, with the local group of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) continuing a campaign of attacks against the Taliban and civilians.

Violence in Afghanistan increased in the lead-up to the US withdrawal from the country after a two-decade-long occupation. Attacks targeted government troops as well as officials, journalists and civilans in general.

The clashes were not only between the Taliban and the US-backed government in Kabul, but also between the Taliban and IS. The latter considers the archconservative group to not be radical enough.

Following the Taliban's takeover, the security situation initially stabilized but has since worsened. Other anti-Taliban groups, including former government supporters have joined in the fight.

Since the Taliban took power, they have found themselves in the position of trying to snuff out an insurgency and protecting those who were once the targets of their own attacks, such as the Hazara minority group.

ab/sms (AP, dpa, EFE)