A bomb tore through a mosque in Afghanistan's northeastern Kunduz province on Friday, killing and wounding more than 100 people, a UN agency said.
"Initial information indicates more than 100 people killed and injured in a suicide blast inside the mosque," the United Nations' mission to Afghanistan said in a tweet.
No group immediately claimed responsibility. The blast followed several attacks, including one at a mosque in Kabul, in recent weeks, some of which have been claimed by the IS terror group.
One Taliban official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 28 people had been killed and dozens more wounded in Friday's blast.
The attacks have underscored security challenges for the Taliban, which took over the country in August and have since carried out operations against the IS cells in Kabul.
"This afternoon, an explosion took place in a mosque ... as a result of which a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.
Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Israeli residents to evacuate towns within 5 km of the border between the countries in a message posted on its Telegram channel in Hebrew early on Friday.
The US House of Representatives rejected an effort on Thursday to stop President Donald Trump's air war on Iran and require that any hostilities against Iran be authorized by Congress, backing the Republican president's military campaign.
Multiple Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, have announced their successful interception of several drones targeting their territories and airbases.
Foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union have strongly condemned the Iranian attacks targeting GCC states, calling them a direct threat to regional and global security.
The southern Indian state of Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, has banned the use of social media by those under the age of 16, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday, becoming the first in India to do so.
Dubai Airports has announced on Friday that over 1,140 flights have been facilitated at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in the past 84 hours to help travellers return home.
UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi has reminded the public against photographing incident sites or fallen debris from missile interceptions in the country, or sharing AI-generated images and videos, noting that violators face legal action.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, has visited the field teams and defence personnel at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) on Friday.