The blast in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul city has faced strong reactions internationally as well as domestically. 

On Friday afternoon a blast occurred nearby the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque, killing nine people and wounding 41 others, including children.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Abdul Nafay Takor, said that the blast was due to a car bombing.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on Twitter condemned the blast and said attacking mosques and targeting worshippers is a "major and unforgivable crime."

Former President Hamid Karzai also "strongly" condemned the blast and called it a "terrorist act" that was against both Islamic and human principles.

The US embassy for Afghanistan on Twitter said that Washington "strongly condemns today’s vicious attack on worshipers outside the Wazir Akber Khan mosque in Kabul."
"Such an attack against people professing their faith is unjustifiable," the embassy said on Twitter. "We offer condolences to the families of the victims and hope those injured recover swiftly."

The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet: Another bitter reminder of ongoing insecurity and terrorist activity in Afghanistan - today's explosion outside a downtown mosque in Kabul caused numerous casualties, including fatalities."

Kabul has recently seen a surge in security incidents.