Grenades at Afghan mosque wound 9 praying

An official says three grenades were thrown into a mosque compound during morning prayers in eastern Afghanistan, wounding at least nine worshippers. Wednesday's attack in Khost province comes a day after a series of bombs across Afghanistan killed 46 people. It was the deadliest day for civilians this year. The Khost police chief says one of the grenades exploded inside the mosque itself in Baghi Sara area. Two others landed in the courtyard outside and one of those failed to detonate. The police chief, Sardar Mohammad Zazai, blamed Taliban insurgents. An Afghan Muslim devotee, who lives and prays in isolation in a mosque during Itikaf, the last ten days of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, reads from the Quran in the city of Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. The last ten days of Ramadan, known as Itikaf, are very important according to many Muslims due to the belief that Prophet Muhammad used to exert himself even more in worship, hoping to draw himself closer to God. Itikaf involves total dedication to worship, reading Quran, and supplication. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid issued a statement saying the insurgents had attacked a U.S. base in Khost with a suicide bomber but did not acknowledge the mosque attack. The NATO military coalition had no immediate comment..