Turkey condemns mosque attack in Afghanistan

ANKARA Turkey has condemned the recent terror attack on a mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat, which killed at least 20 people and injured 30 others. The incident took place Tuesday in the Bakat Abad area of relatively peaceful Herat -- the country's third-largest city. In a statement late Tuesday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry expressed "deep sorrow" over the attack. "We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack, which targeted a holy place and innocent people," the statement said. The ministry expressed Turkey’s “condolences to the Government and brotherly people of Afghanistan". A suspected suicide bomber first blew himself up among worshipers, and later a second assailant inside the mosque started shooting at people indiscriminately, Ayub said. Dozens of people were present inside the mosque for late evening prayers called Isha when the attack took place at 8.30 p.m. local time (1600GMT). Regional police chief Mohammad Ayub said two attackers were involved in the incident. Taliban spokesman Qari Yosuf Ahmadi said in a statement that his group had nothing to do with the attack. On June 15, a terrorist attack on a Shia community mosque in the capital Kabul involving at least two suicide bombers killed at least six people. On June 6, an improvised explosive device attack at main gate of the iconic Jama Masjid in Herat left at least eight people dead.