Over 30 people killed and more than 50 injured after three separate blasts occurred on Thursday in Afghanistan, one in Kabul, one in Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province, and a third in Kunduz city in Kunduz province.

According to the Ministry of Interior, the initial blast occurred in Kabul's PD5 district, and two youngsters were mildly injured.

The second blast occurred in the mosque of Seh Dokan in Mazar-e-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh.At least 10 worshippers were killed and another 40 injured in a powerful explosion.

In the third blast, eleven persons were killed or injured in Kunduz, Afghanistan's northernmost city.

The province health authority's Najeebullah Sahel said hospitals have received casualties from a bomb and that the number could rise, but he did not specify the location or source of the incident.

The attack on Shia mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif&nbsp;is the second attack targeting Shias in the last 48 hours.

“A blast happened in 2th district inside a Shi’ite mosque, more than 20 killed and injured,” Mohammad Asif Wazeri, the spokesman for the Taliban commander n Mazar-e-Sharif said. 
 
Mazar-e-Sharif&nbsp;is&nbsp;the&nbsp;capital&nbsp;of&nbsp;Afghanistan's&nbsp;Balkh&nbsp;province.

Dr Ghawsuddin Anwari, head of the main hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif, said the dead and wounded were brought in ambulances and private cars.&nbsp;

The explosion at the Sai Doken mosque in northern Mazar-e-Sharif occurred as scores of worshippers knelt in prayer as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramzan, the report added.

Meanwhile, Obaidullah Abidi, a spokeswoman for the provincial security agency in Kunduz, confirmed that a bomb occurred in the Sardawar region of the province's capital city. The number of people killed or injured in the Kunduz blast has yet to be determined.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far.

The bomb occurred two days after bombings ripped through a high school in western Kabul's largely Shia Hazara district, killing at least six people and injuring 11.

Sunni extremist groups, such as Islamic State, routinely target Afghanistan's Shia community, a religious minority.

Since assuming power in August, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers claim to have secured the country, but international authorities and analysts warn there is still a possibility of militancy rising, and the Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks. 
 
Watch | Gravitas Plus: The Shia-Sunni Divide: Understanding the split

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Over 30 people killed and more than 50 injured after three separate blasts occurred on Thursday in Afghanistan, one in Kabul, one in Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province, and a third in Kunduz city in Kunduz province.

Over 30 people killed and more than 50 injured after three separate blasts occurred on Thursday in Afghanistan, one in Kabul, one in Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province, and a third in Kunduz city in Kunduz province. According to the Ministry of Interior, the initial blast occurred in Kabul's PD5 district, and two youngsters were mildly injured. The second blast occurred in the mosque of Seh Dokan in Mazar-e-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh.At least 10 worshippers were killed and another 40 injured in a powerful explosion. In the third blast, eleven persons were killed or injured in Kunduz, Afghanistan's northernmost city. The province health authority's Najeebullah Sahel said hospitals have received casualties from a bomb and that the number could rise, but he did not specify the location or source of the incident. The attack on Shia mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif is the second attack targeting Shias in the last 48 hours. “A blast happened in 2th district inside a Shi’ite mosque, more than 20 killed and injured,” Mohammad Asif Wazeri, the spokesman for the Taliban commander n Mazar-e-Sharif said. Mazar-e-Sharif is the capital of Afghanistan's Balkh province. Dr Ghawsuddin Anwari, head of the main hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif, said the dead and wounded were brought in ambulances and private cars. The explosion at the Sai Doken mosque in northern Mazar-e-Sharif occurred as scores of worshippers knelt in prayer as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramzan, the report added. Meanwhile, Obaidullah Abidi, a spokeswoman for the provincial security agency in Kunduz, confirmed that a bomb occurred in the Sardawar region of the province's capital city. The number of people killed or injured in the Kunduz blast has yet to be determined. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. The bomb occurred two days after bombings ripped through a high school in western Kabul's largely Shia Hazara district, killing at least six people and injuring 11. Sunni extremist groups, such as Islamic State, routinely target Afghanistan's Shia community, a religious minority. Since assuming power in August, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers claim to have secured the country, but international authorities and analysts warn there is still a possibility of militancy rising, and the Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks. Watch | Gravitas Plus: The Shia-Sunni Divide: Understanding the split

Afghanistan: Over 30 killed as multiple blasts hit Kabul, Balkh and Kunduz

An annual American report on religious freedom has voiced concern over the targeted killing in Pakistan of Shia Muslims, including ethnic Hazaras, who are largely Shia, and Ahmadi Muslims in attacks believed to be driven by faith.

The US ''2019 International Religious Freedom Report'' that documents major instances of the violation of religious freedom across the world, released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department on Wednesday, said human rights activists reported numerous instances of societal violence related to allegations of blasphemy; of efforts by individuals to coerce religious minorities to convert to Islam; and of societal harassment, discrimination, and threats of violence directed at members of religious minority communities.

NGOs expressed concern about what they stated was an increasing frequency of attempts to kidnap, forcibly convert, and forcibly marry young women from religious minority communities, especially young Hindu and Christian women.

"There also continued to be reports of attacks on holy places, cemeteries, and religious symbols of Hindu, Christian, and Ahmadiyya minorities," the report added.

According to Ahmadi civil society organizations, the State Department said, Islamabad failed to restrict advertisements or speeches inciting anti-Ahmadi violence, despite this responsibility being a component of the NAP. Civil society groups continued to express concerns about the safety of religious minorities.

The report said that visiting US government officials met with minority community representatives, parliamentarians, human rights activists, and members of the federal cabinet to highlight concerns regarding the treatment of religious minority communities, the application of blasphemy laws, and other forms of discrimination on the basis of religion. But still, no coercing action has been taken.

According to civil society reports, there were at least 84 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 29 of whom had received death sentences, as compared with 77 and 28, respectively, in 2018, the State Department said in the report.

NGOs expressed concern that authorities have often failed to intervene in instances of societal violence against religious minorities due to fear of the perpetrators, inadequate staff.

"Perpetrators of societal violence and abuses against religious minorities often faced no legal consequences due to a lack of follow-through by law enforcement, bribes offered by the accused, and pressure on victims to drop cases. In some cases of the alleged kidnapping and forced conversions of young religious minority women, however, government authorities intervened to protect the alleged victim and ascertain her will," the report stated.

On November 9, the government opened a newly refurbished Sikh holy site, the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, along with a visa-free transit corridor for Sikh pilgrims travelling from India.

However, minority religious leaders stated members of their communities continued to experience discrimination in public schools and tertiary education, which resulted in very few religious minority applicants competing and qualifying for private and civil service employment.

Pakistan is a well-known perpetrator of such human rights violations. On several occasions, it has promised to safeguard the interest of minority communities in the nation. However, continuing attacks on minorities narrate a different story.

Islamabad has been discriminating against its religious minorities. This is manifested in various forms of targeted violence, mass murders, extrajudicial killings, abduction, rapes, forced conversion to Islam, etc., making Pakistani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyyas, and Shias the most persecuted minorities in the region.

An annual American report on religious freedom has voiced concern over the targeted killing in Pakistan of Shia Muslims, including ethnic Hazaras, who are largely Shia, and Ahmadi Muslims in attacks believed to be driven by faith.

An annual American report on religious freedom has voiced concern over the targeted killing in Pakistan of Shia Muslims, including ethnic Hazaras, who are largely Shia, and Ahmadi Muslims in attacks believed to be driven by faith. The US ''2019 International Religious Freedom Report'' that documents major instances of the violation of religious freedom across the world, released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department on Wednesday, said human rights activists reported numerous instances of societal violence related to allegations of blasphemy; of efforts by individuals to coerce religious minorities to convert to Islam; and of societal harassment, discrimination, and threats of violence directed at members of religious minority communities. NGOs expressed concern about what they stated was an increasing frequency of attempts to kidnap, forcibly convert, and forcibly marry young women from religious minority communities, especially young Hindu and Christian women. "There also continued to be reports of attacks on holy places, cemeteries, and religious symbols of Hindu, Christian, and Ahmadiyya minorities," the report added. According to Ahmadi civil society organizations, the State Department said, Islamabad failed to restrict advertisements or speeches inciting anti-Ahmadi violence, despite this responsibility being a component of the NAP. Civil society groups continued to express concerns about the safety of religious minorities. The report said that visiting US government officials met with minority community representatives, parliamentarians, human rights activists, and members of the federal cabinet to highlight concerns regarding the treatment of religious minority communities, the application of blasphemy laws, and other forms of discrimination on the basis of religion. But still, no coercing action has been taken. According to civil society reports, there were at least 84 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 29 of whom had received death sentences, as compared with 77 and 28, respectively, in 2018, the State Department said in the report. NGOs expressed concern that authorities have often failed to intervene in instances of societal violence against religious minorities due to fear of the perpetrators, inadequate staff. "Perpetrators of societal violence and abuses against religious minorities often faced no legal consequences due to a lack of follow-through by law enforcement, bribes offered by the accused, and pressure on victims to drop cases. In some cases of the alleged kidnapping and forced conversions of young religious minority women, however, government authorities intervened to protect the alleged victim and ascertain her will," the report stated. On November 9, the government opened a newly refurbished Sikh holy site, the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, along with a visa-free transit corridor for Sikh pilgrims travelling from India. However, minority religious leaders stated members of their communities continued to experience discrimination in public schools and tertiary education, which resulted in very few religious minority applicants competing and qualifying for private and civil service employment. Pakistan is a well-known perpetrator of such human rights violations. On several occasions, it has promised to safeguard the interest of minority communities in the nation. However, continuing attacks on minorities narrate a different story. Islamabad has been discriminating against its religious minorities. This is manifested in various forms of targeted violence, mass murders, extrajudicial killings, abduction, rapes, forced conversion to Islam, etc., making Pakistani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyyas, and Shias the most persecuted minorities in the region.

US report on religious freedom blames Pakistan for targeted killing of minorities

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Afghanistan: Over 30 killed as multiple blasts hit Kabul, Balkh and Kunduz

US report on religious freedom blames Pakistan for targeted killing of minorities