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Unsolved case · 2022
The short answer
A bombing at the Abu Bakr al Sadiq Mosque in Kabul on 17 August 2022 killed at least 21 people, including the mosque's imam, a prominent Taliban cleric; no group claimed responsibility, though the attack was widely attributed to ISIS–K.
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Suggest coverage for August 2022 Kabul Mosque BombingThe case file
On 17 August 2022, an explosion struck the Abu Bakr al Sadiq Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan. Residents in the vicinity reported hearing gunshots after the blast occurred. No group formally claimed responsibility for the attack. However, it was widely believed to have been carried out by ISIS–K (Islamic State – Khorasan Province), a militant group that had intensified its campaign of attacks against the Taliban and Afghan civilians in the year following the Taliban's takeover of the country in August 2021, a period that coincided with the final stages of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. In the week prior to the mosque bombing, ISIS–K had claimed responsibility for killing a prominent Taliban cleric at his religious center in Kabul.
Kabul's Emergency Hospital received at least 27 victims in the aftermath of the explosion. Two of those brought to the hospital were already deceased on arrival, and a third victim died while undergoing treatment. Among those killed was Mawlawi Amir Muhammad Kabuli, the mosque's imam and a prominent Taliban cleric who also operated an Islamic school located at the site of the blast.
Later reporting indicated that the death toll had risen to 21 people killed, with 33 others wounded. However, accounts from witnesses at the scene suggested the casualty figures may have been higher than officially reported. One witness described that "many other Taliban, as well [as] children, were martyred," and estimated that the total number of casualties, including both those killed and wounded, exceeded 100.
The bombing occurred against the backdrop of a broader pattern of violence in Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power, with ISIS–K emerging as a persistent threat targeting both the ruling Taliban and the civilian population. As of available reporting, no individual or group has been formally charged or convicted in connection with the attack, and the case remains without a confirmed claim of responsibility from any organization.
2 dated entries · 2022
An explosion struck the Abu Bakr al Sadiq Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan; gunshots were reported by nearby residents following the blast.
Kabul's Emergency Hospital received at least 27 victims; two arrived deceased and a third died during treatment.
1 named in this file
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Imam of the Abu Bakr al Sadiq Mosque and a prominent Taliban cleric who ran an Islamic school at the site; killed in the explosion.[3]
3 cited
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
PressReutersAccessed Jul 7, 2026
PressCNNAccessed Jul 7, 2026
EncyclopedicWikipediaAccessed Jul 7, 2026
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