At least 33 dead in Afghan mosque blast

"The perpetrators of these incidents are... evil elements and serious efforts are being made to arrest and punish them," he said.

It was not clear who was behind the explosion that the local commander said hit the mosque during Friday prayers.

Several blasts claimed by the Islamic State group hit the northern cities of Kunduz and Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday. 

One of them, at a mosque and another days earlier at a school in western Kabul, targeted the Shi'ite minority.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers say they have secured the country since taking power in August but international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in militancy remains.