Taliban apprehended the ‘mastermind’ of the Afghan mosque bombing.

According to authorities, Taliban troops have apprehended a suspected Islamic State militant who allegedly plotted a bomb attack on a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan, killing at least 12 worshippers.

IS has claimed responsibility for the bombing that ripped through the Seh Dokan mosque in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday during noon prayers.

58 individuals were also hurt in the attack.

Asif Waziri, the police spokesman for Balkh province, claimed Abdul Hamid Sangaryar was a key IS operative.

Waziri told AFP, “He was the mastermind of yesterday’s mosque attack.”

Sangaryar, an Afghan national, was also arrested, according to the country’s interior minister.

“He had previously played a crucial role in various attacks and had frequently eluded capture, but this time we arrested him in a special operation,” Waziri said.

IS also claimed responsibility for a separate bombing in the northern city of Kunduz on Thursday, which killed four people and injured 18 others.

While worshippers celebrated Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan, Taliban authorities ramped up security around Kabul’s biggest mosques.

Hundreds of worshippers arriving at the capital’s Abdul Rahman mosque were subjected to body inspections by gun-toting Taliban gunmen, according to an AFP correspondent.

Even as the number of bombings has decreased since the Taliban gained power in August, IS has claimed responsibility for numerous strikes in Afghanistan, often against Shiite targets.