Bomb blast hits mosque in eastern Afghanistan

A bomb has exploded in a mosque during prayers, wounding 15 people in eastern Afghanistan, where Daesh terrorists have been waging a campaign of violence.

Qari Hanif, the government spokesperson for Nangarhar Province, said on Friday the bomb appeared to have been planted inside the mosque in the town of Traili, located in the mountainous Spin Ghar area outside the provincial capital Jalalabad.

Daesh militants have been carrying out nearly daily shootings and bombings against Taliban fighters in the province.

 Daesh bombings against mosques in the area have been much rarer, however, since the region is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim.

The group is known for bombing mosques belonging to Afghanistan's Shia minority that have killed hundreds of people.

READ MORE: Daesh in Afghanistan: Challenge and opportunity for the Taliban

Since coming to power in Afghanistan three months ago, the Taliban has been waging a counterinsurgency campaign, vowing to put down the threat from Daesh.

Daesh is an enemy of the Taliban. The two groups share a hard-line interpretation of Islam and over the years engaged in some of the same violent tactics, such as suicide bombings. However, the Taliban has focused on seizing control of Afghanistan, while IS adheres to global jihad.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Taliban intelligence service told reporters in Kabul that the agency has arrested close to 600 Daesh members, including key figures and financial supporters. 

The spokesperson, Khalil Hamraz, said at least 33 Daesh members have been killed in gun battles with Taliban security forces.

READ MORE: Taliban to enforce Islamic law in Afghanistan