Gunmen kill 11 in two separate attacks, Afghanistan officials say

In the latest in relentless violence that continues to plague the war-shattered Afghanistan, gunmen killed 11 people in two separate attacks on Wednesday.

In the first attack, at least eight people killed after gunmen waged a shooting spree at a mosque in central Afghanistan.

Five others were wounded during the horrific attack at the mosque in Parwan province, north of Kabul, where worshippers were kneeling on prayer rugs. The Ministry of Interior confirmed the attack in Parwan’s provincial capital Charekar, blaming it on the insurgent Taliban. The Taliban denied responsibility and said Afghan security forces were to blame.

In the second attack, three people were killed and one child was wounded after the gunmen fired on people outside a mosque as Ramadan night prayers were underway around 9:00 p.m. local time in Korchako village, Sabari district of eastern Khost province, 150 km southeast of the country's capital, Kabul.

The Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts as more than 500 civilians were killed and 760 others wounded due to fighting in Afghanistan in the first three months of 2020, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced on late April.

(With inputs from agencies)