A cleric[Imam] Mujib Rahman Ansari also a pro-taliban scholar with some of his guards and civilians have been killed in an explosion at Afghanistan’s Western province of Herat on their way to the mosque according to Herat’s police spokesman Mahmoud Rasooli on Friday.
In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid vowed that Taliban forces would punish the criminals behind the attack.Provincial police spokesperson Mahmoud Shah Rasooli said the incident took place when the cleric was entering the mosque while coming from his house.“One of the suicide bombers blew himself up and the cleric while kissing his hands,” the police spokesman said.
According to Hameedullah Motawakel, spokesman for the governor of Herat province he said “Eighteen people were martyred in the incident and 23 others were wounded” 
The famous cleric was known as a major supporter of the Taliban government.Since the Taliban’s return to power, attacks on places of worship had increased in the country.The Islamic State terrorist group had claimed responsibility for a number of these attacks against religious minorities, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Friday bombing.
