Afghan mosque blast kills 18, including senior cleric
Herat (Afghanistan)(AP): An explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 18 people, including a prominent cleric, Taliban officials and a local medic said. At least 21 people were hurt.
The blast went off in the Guzargah Mosque in the western city of Herat during Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week when places of worship are particularly crowded.
The explosion killed Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a prominent cleric who was known across Afghanistan for his criticism of the country's Western-backed governments over the past two decades. Ansari was seen as close to the Taliban, who seized control over the country a year ago as foreign forces withdrew.
His death was confirmed by the chief Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid.
Ambulances transported 18 bodies and 21 wounded people from the blast to hospitals in Herat, said Mohammad Daud Mohammadi, an official at the Herat ambulance centre.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's blast.
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Maha woman rescued in Udupi reunited with family
Mangaluru/Udupi (PTI): A woman from Maharashtra, rescued in a distressed condition along a national highway in Udupi district about a month ago, has been reunited with her family after recovering from a mental health episode, officials said on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old woman hails from Satara district in Maharashtra, they said.
She was found wandering late at night in February on the Ambalapady stretch of National Highway 66 but later she was housed in safe custody, police said.
According to officials, social worker Vishu Shetty noticed her wandering on the roadside and rescued her before shifting her to a shelter facility. She was later admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
Doctors said she gradually responded to medical care and counselling and was able to recall details about her family, enabling authorities to trace her relatives.
Her brother and other family members subsequently arrived in Udupi and took her back home. Police and hospital staff assisted in the rescue and rehabilitation process.
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