On Saturday, at least seven people were killed in an explosion in western Afghanistan's Herat province, a hospital source told DPA.

Another nine persons were injured in the bomb in the city's police district 12, which is regarded to be a Shia-populated neighborhood, according to Arif Jalali, the physician who heads the Herat regional hospital. He noted that the majority of victims admitted to the hospital were female. According to Mahmoud Shah Rasooli, a regional police spokesperson, a device strapped to a minivan exploded.

The police officer stated that a team was en route to the bomb scene to conduct additional investigations without providing any specifics. The incident elicited no immediate claim of responsibility.

Attaching bombs to the underside of cars is an ancient practice used by the Taliban, Afghanistan's current rulers, against former government officials and other critical Afghans.

Islamic State has employed a similar strategy against Shia Muslims in the country.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several attacks. In turn, the Taliban are hunting Islamic State affiliates by destroying their hiding places.

Since Islamic State's initial appearance in Afghanistan in early 2015, the two terrorist groups have conflicted.