Bomb blasts on minibuses killed several people in northern Afghanistan

Two bomb blasts aboard separate minibuses have killed at least nine people in Afghanistan's Mazar-e-Sharif, a week after a deadly explosion rocked a Shia mosque in the northern city.

Thursday's blasts occurred within minutes of each other in different districts of Mazar-e-Sharif as commuters were heading home to break their dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast, Balkh provincial police spokesperson Asif Waziri said.

"The targets appear to be Shia passengers," he said, adding 13 people were wounded in the blasts.

"The enemies of Afghanistan are creating tension and division among our people."

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the bombings.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said earlier on Thursday that several arrests had been made in connection with recent attacks.

"These attacks targeted places that did not have enough security like mosques and a school, but now we have stepped up security in such places," he said.

READ MORE: Deadly blast targets mosque in northern Afghan city of Kunduz

Violent attacks 

The blasts came a week after a deadly bomb attack at a Shia mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif killed at least 12 worshippers and wounded scores more.

That explosion was followed a day later by a separate bomb attack at another mosque in the northern city of Kunduz. It killed at least 36 people during Friday prayers.

In another attack, two bombs detonated at a school in Kabul, killing six students.

Daesh claimed the mosque attack in Mazar-e-Sharif, but no group has so far taken responsibility for the bombing in Kunduz and at the Kabul school.

The number of violent public attacks across Afghanistan has fallen since the Taliban returned to power last August, but Daesh has continued to target Shia, whom they view as heretics.

Shia Afghans, who are mostly from the Hazara community, make up between 10 and 20 percent of Afghanistan's population of 38 million.

READ MORE: Deaths as multiple blasts rock Afghanistan