Blast kills 21, injures 33 in Afghan capital Kabul

KABUL, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A blast targeted worshipers at a mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least 21 people and injuring 33 others late on Wednesday, a security official confirmed Thursday.

"The blast happened during the evening prayer inside a mosque in Police District 17, leaving 21 dead and 33 others injured at the spot," Khalid Zadran, the Kabul police spokesman, confirmed in a briefing.

Eyewitnesses heard a powerful explosion which shattered windowpanes of the nearby buildings.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the deadly incident.

The blast came a few days after a prominent pro-Taliban cleric was killed in a suicide bomb blast in Kabul. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the earlier attack.