Suicide attack on Shia mosque in Afghanistan's Herat kills 29 people

A suicide bomb attack on a Shia mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, on Tuesday evening (1 August) has killed 29 people, and injured 64 others, 10 critically. Authorities say there were at least two attackers but have not ruled the possibility of more.

The Jawadia mosque, where the attack took place, is for Shia Muslims living in Bakrabad area of Herat city. There were about 300 people present at the mosque when it came under attack.

"Two attackers entered the mosque and started shooting and throwing grenades at people," an injured survivor, Mohammad Adi, told Reuters as he was taken to a hospital. The attackers later reportedly blew themselves up.

The death toll is expected to rise as many of victims suffered severe injuries.

Images from the blast site showed investigators inspecting dead bodies inside the mosque while others were ferrying bodies wrapped in blankets.

President Ashraf Ghani urged religious scholars to "raise their voices against the terrorist attacks". His administration has been facing serious security challenges in recent years due to increasing Islamist militancy.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but it came a day after the Islamic State group warned it would attack Shiites.

Taliban militants, who have targeted Shia installations in the past, have denied any involvement in the bombing. The latest attack comes just two months after a similar attack on a different Shia mosque in Herat killed seven people.