Residents of Haska Mina district of Nangarhar province reported on Saturday that the number of dead is now 72 from the mosque explosion on Friday.

Abdulhaq Omare, a TOLOnews reporter who visited the Jaw Dara area of the Haska Meyna district, said that the residents are still busy pulling the dead from the ruins of the mosque.

The blast occurred yesterday close to 1:30 pm and its cause has not been identified.

“My three sons were martyred in the mosque. Two of them were married just ten days ago, and the other was 14 years old,” said Banaras, a resident.

“Four people are missing and we are searching to find their bodies. In total we have lost 72 people in the blast and around 30 others were wounded, and yet it is not clear if it was a blast due to explosives (already within the mosque), or if someone entered the mosque from outside,” said Waqifullah, a resident of the district.

Some residents, considering motive, said that Jaw Dara village residents fight Daesh, and have worked with the Afghan military.

“In the past the residents fight against Daesh in this area,” said Akhtar, a Jaw Dara resident.

Local security officials say that it was a suicide bomber that detonated explosives from inside the mosque.

“There were two attackers, one entered the mosque and detonated his explosives and the second attacker fled the area,” said Amir Hamza, an army commander in the district.

“We don’t have any information that the mosque was warned against the attack,” said Jamil Halimzoy, district governor of Haska Mina district.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.