News - Afghanistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday flew to northern Faryab province to meet with the families of those killed in the suicide attack at the Maimana mosque last week, according to a statement from his office.

Karzai took the opportunity to again condemn the bombing, pointing to the Hajj sermon of Saudi Arabia's Mufti-e-Azam last week where he said that suicide attacks went against the teachings of Islam.

Friday's attack at Maimana's Eid Gah mosque happened on the first day of Islam's Eid al-Adha celebration as men were leaving the mosque following the morning prayers. The blast from the suicide bombers explosives vest killed as many as 40 people and wounded around 50 more.

It was the deadliest single incident in Afghanistan since the suicide attack at the Shura shrine in Kabul last December killed and wounded more than 180 people.

A number of government representatives including the Minister of Interior Mujtaba Patang and Minister of Public Health Suraya Dalil are already in Faryab.