On Sunday, May 6th 2018, an explosion at a mosque, also being used as a voter registration centre, in Afghanistan’s Khost province left 17 people killed and a further 34 injured.
An improvised explosive device (IED) appeared to have been left in the mosque, which caused the blast.
No group claimed the explosion, though ISIS carried out a similar attack last month on a voter registration centre in Kabul, which left over 150 dead and injured. This attack was thought to have deterred many from going to the voter centres.
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records casualties (i.e. people killed and injured) from explosive violence around the world as reported in English-language news sources.
Last year, AOAV recorded 5,661 deaths and injuries in Afghanistan, of which 55% (3,119) were civilians. The number of civilians killed and injured increased 42% last year, compared to 2016.
It was the worst year AOAV had ever recorded for civilian harm from explosive weapons in Afghanistan.
AOAV calls on all states to urgently address the threat of IED attacks. There is an urgent need for preventative measures to be implemented by States and the international community.
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