Oct. 18 (UPI) -- An explosion at an Afghanistan mosque killed at least 60 people as worshipers gathered for Friday prayers, officials said.
The blast injured at least 36 people. Nangahar's provincial governor said two bombs detonated inside the mosque simultaneously, while presidential spokesman Sediq Seddiqi said a suicide bomber was responsible.
Seddiqi blamed Friday's attack on the Taliban and its partners. The insurgent group, however, denied responsibility.
U.S. and Afghan forces have conducted specific operations in recent months to target the Islamic State and drive them from eastern Afghanistan. The U.S. military maintains a base, with special forces units, in the area.
The explosion caused the roof of the mosque to collapse.
"It's a horrific incident, even an animal would not resort to such an act," tribal Chief Habib Urahman told The Washington Post.
The United Nations said recently more than 2,500 civilians have been killed and nearly 5,700 injured so far this year.
U.S. and Taliban officials have been negotiating for a deal to withdraw American forces, which arrived in 2001, from the war-scarred nation.
