Taliban Pledge to Step up Security As Shia Victims Buried in Afghanistan

Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday to bury the victims of the second Islamic State suicide strike on worshipers in a week, with Taliban authorities promising to beef up security at Shia mosques.

Hardline The attack on the Fatima mosque in Kandahar, in which a gang of suicide bombers shot their way into the mosque before blowing themselves up among the congregation during Friday prayers, was claimed by the Sunni extremist Islamic State.

The death toll from the incident was 41 dead and 70 wounded, according to a health official, but it could increase even higher.

"Some of the wounded are in a critical condition, and we are trying to transfer them to Kabul," he said.

On Saturday, massive crowds gathered in Kandahar's southern city to bury the white-shrouded bodies in a mass grave.

According to the Kandahar police chief, units would be deployed to safeguard Shia mosques, which have been guarded by local volunteer forces with special clearance to carry guns in the past.

In a statement posted on Twitter, he said: "Unfortunately, they could not protect this area and in future, we will assign special security guards for the protection of mosques and Madrasas."

The attack on the Fatima mosque, Kandahar's largest Shia mosque, also known as the Imam Bargah mosque, came just a week after a similar attack on a mosque in Kunduz, which killed up to 80 people.

Under the last Western-backed government, attacks on Shia mosques and targets connected with the Hazara ethnic minority, Afghanistan's largest Shia ethnicity, were commonplace.

There has been deep shock as the attacks have continued since the Taliban seized power in August, tarnishing the movement's claim to have brought peace to Afghanistan after decades of war.

Since the takeover, Islamic State has conducted dozens of operations, from small scale attacks on Taliban targets to large-scale operations such as Friday's suicide bombing, killing scores of civilians.