At least 21 people were killed and 33 injured in a bomb attack on a mosque full of worshipers in Kabul Wednesday night, according to a police report released on Thursday.
The number of attacks has decreased in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power a year ago, but they have not stopped. And according to the United Nations (UN), never so many civilians have died in a month. Most of the attacks are claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.
“Explosives were placed at prayer time” at the Sunni Sedikiye Mosque, located northwest of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said. The hit mosque is located in the Sunni district of Khair Khana and also has a Quran school.
The resident Masiullah said, “He was my cousin, may Allah forgive him.” AFP, The victim of the attack was interviewed at a nearby cemetery shortly after he buried his family. It has been a year since his marriage, he was 27 years old and his name was Fardin… he was a good person.” No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The Italian NGO Emergency, which operates at a hospital in Kabul, reported on Thursday that it had received a total of 35 people, three of whom died after the explosion. “Most of the injuries were caused by shrapnel and burns. Among those we took were nine children,” the NGO’s country director Stefano Sozza said in a press release.
Local hospitals contacted AFP He said they were not authorized to provide information about the victims.
Several deadly attacks took place in Kabul in August. The UN mission in the country was “saddened” by Wednesday’s attack, “the latest in an alarming series of bomb attacks that have killed and injured more than 250 people in recent weeks, the highest monthly civilian casualty in a year.” organization.
The mosque, whose windows were shattered by the impact of explosives this morning, was guarded by a large number of armed Taliban. They also roamed the surrounding streets, banning journalists from entering.
Taliban officials regularly claim to control security in the country and often deny or trivialize incidents reported on social media. They often, sometimes violently, prevent local and foreign media from approaching the places hit by the attacks.
Taliban Assembly in Kandahar
Wednesday’s attack came about a week after a Taliban cleric and his brother were killed in a suicide attack on a Quran school in Kabul, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. Rahimullah Hakkani was known for his fiery speeches against ISIS.
Although violence rates in Afghanistan have declined since the Taliban seized power in August last year, the country still suffers from frequent attacks.
A series of bombings hit Afghanistan in late April, during the holy month of Ramadan, and in late May, killing dozens. Most of the attacks were claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group, which mainly targets Afghan religious minorities Shiites, Sufis and Sikhs as well as the Taliban.
The Taliban say they have defeated this extremist group, but analysts say ISIS remains a security concern for the Islamist movement. Both groups are radical Sunni Islamists, but the Taliban and IS have become fierce rivals with ideological and strategic differences.
The Taliban condemned the attack
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Ahundzada, whose appearances are so rare, condemned the attacks in a speech Thursday to a large assembly of nearly 2,000 religious leaders and elders in Kandahar (south), the birthplace and decision-making center of the Islamic movement.
A Taliban spokesman said in a statement that “important decisions will be taken at the conference”. The meeting is being held to commemorate the first anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, a year marked by a sharp decline in women’s rights and a deep humanitarian and economic crisis.
Akhundzada said he was “ready to fight once again” against the United States for the Taliban’s right to enforce the strict interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law), according to a statement from the group.
He also highlighted the need for unity as tensions have arisen within the Taliban over the need for international recognition in recent months, as neither country has established formal ties with the ruling government since August 2021.
The reopening of girls’ high schools, which have been closed since March, is also an important topic of discussion.
(with information from RFI and AFP)
source: Noticias
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