Officials confirmed that on Monday evening, April 29, a gunman opened fire in a mosque in the western province of Herat, Afghanistan, leaving at least six civilians dead and one injured.

According to a statement by Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, “an unknown armed person shot at civilian worshippers in a mosque” at about 9pm (16:30 GMT) on Monday in Andisheh town of Guzara district in Herat province.

“Six civilians were martyred and one civilian was injured,” he wrote on social media platform X early on Tuesday morning, April 30.

Citing local sources, local media channel Tolo reported the mosque belonged to Afghanistan’s minority Shia community.

A prayer leader, known as Imam, was also killed in the attack, local media reports said.

The Iranian embassy in Kabul condemned the attack.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the attack and stressed the urgency for investigations to identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, attacks have significantly reduced in the war-torn country.