Gunmen have killed at least eleven people and wounded many others in two separate attacks on mosques in Afghanistan, security officials have said.  At least eight worshippers in a mosque in Charekar, Parwan province were killed while offering prayers after breaking their Ramadan fast.  Later, gunmen killed three members of the same family as they returned from prayers in eastern Khost province, officials said. The attacks closely follow an assault on a maternity ward in Kabul which claimed the lives of 24 people.  No group has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks. 

In response, the multireligious Board of the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) issued the following statement:

“The Board of KAICIID condemns unreservedly these latest cowardly attacks on innocents at worship and offers heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.

“In a country torn apart by violence, people find particular solace in religious observance and must not be denied their right to worship in peace and safety.  There is no justification, religious, social or political, for carrying out these murders of innocents at their most vulnerable.”

“At the centre of diverse religions is the call to peace and the celebration of peace through worship. The targeting of worshippers is a gross violation of that principle. We call upon religious leaders, local authorities and policymakers to do all they can to protect those seeking to live out their faiths in peace.”