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GARDEZ, Afghanistan – A suicide attack struck a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Gardez in Paktia province.

Local officials have said that two burka-clad men, armed with rifles, entered the Khawaja Hassan mosque in Gardez city and opened fire on people who have gathered for Friday prayers.

Abdullah Hazrat, spokesman for the provincial governor told reporters at the site of the blast, “Two men entered the mosque wearing full-face veils at about 13:30 local time (09:30 GMT). The men then opened fire on the worshippers, before one of the men was shot dead by security forces..”

An eyewitness quoted in reports said that after the first attacker was shot dead, the other assailant made his way into a hall where people were hiding, and blew himself up.

Sardar Wali Tabasum, provincial police chief spokesman confirmed details of the attack in a statement later and said, “The rifle-carrying attackers entered the Khawaja Hassan mosque in Gardez city, Paktia province, during Friday prayers and started shooting at worshippers before detonating their explosives.”

In a statement later, Hazrat said that at least 29 people were killed in the suicide attack and more than 81 others were injured.

He added that a number of children were among the victims.

According to local reports, there were more than 100 people inside the mosque when the attackers struck.

Reports noted that the attack on Friday came as the latest in a series of attacks on cities across the country.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, a refugee office in Jalalabad, north east of Gardez came under attack, in which 15 people were killed. 

The attack was claimed by ISIS. 

Earlier in the same day, a bus traveling in the western province of Farah was struck by a roadside bomb, killing 11 people.

The attack was through to be carried out by the Taliban.

Separate attacks took place the same day, after 22 people were abducted by unknown assailants from vehicles on a highway linking Kabul and Gardez.

According to the UN, a total of 1,692 civilians have been killed and 3,430 people have been injured in the first half of 2018, which it says is the highest total recorded for the period since counting began in 2009.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack but the Taliban issued a brief statement denying that it carried out the attack.

Previously, the Islamic State militant group has carried out and claimed responsibility for similar attacks on Shia mosques and other locations around Afghanistan.

A group affiliated to Islamic State in the region has warned Afghanistan’s minority Shia population that their mosques would be targeted.

With the U.S. and Afghan forces continuing their long battle against Taliban in the country, in recent months, ISIS has come under increasing pressure in the region from U.S. air strikes and Afghan ground offensives.

On Friday, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, calling it “inhumane”. 

Ghani said that Afghans will not be divided by sectarian violence.