Mujib ur Rahman Ansari, a renowned cleric and top Taliban supporter, was killed in “a brutal attack on Friday in Herat”, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.
“The Islamic Emirate expresses its deep sorrow for his death and those responsible for this incident will be punished for their heinous acts,” he promised.
The blast took place at the Gazarghah mosque, one of the main mosques in Herat, of which Ansari was the imam, and claimed many other victims, TOLOnews, the country’s main private channel, reported.
Footage circulating on social media shows what appear to be bloodied bodies strewn around the mosque grounds.
Speaking at an assembly of clerics in Kabul in early July, Ansari said anyone trying to overthrow the Taliban regime should be beheaded.
“This (Taliban) flag was not raised easily, and it will not be lowered easily,” he said. “All religious scholars in Afghanistan should agree (…) that anyone who commits any act against our Islamic government should be beheaded and eliminated.”