Senior Afghan cleric killed in mosque blast in city of Herat

HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban officials say a explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan, killing a prominent cleric. They say the death toll was expected to rise. The blast went off in a 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 Afghanistan’s Western-back governments over the past two decades. There was no immediate claim for the attack. In the past, the extremist group Islamic State carried out several mosque attacks, targeting religious minorities or Taliban targets.