Human bomb rips through Afghan mosque, over 50 die
NSC reaffirms commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan amid ‘extremely complex’ regional situation; Pakistan wants broad, long-term and stable relations with US, Qureshi tells Wendy Sherman
KUNDUZ: A suicide bomb atack on worshippers at a mosque in the Afghan city of Kunduz killed at least 55 people on Friday, in the bloodiest assault since US forces let the country.
Scores more victims from the community were wounded in the blast, which was claimed by Daesh group and appeared designed to further destabilise Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.
The extremist group, biter rivals of the Taliban, has repeatedly targeted Shiites in a bid to stir up sectarian violence in Afghanistan.
In a statement released on its Telegram channels, Daesh said that a suicide bomber “detonated an explosive vest amid a crowd” of Shiite worshippers who had gathered inside the mosque.
The statement identified the bomber as “Muhammad Al Uyguri,” implying he was a member of China’s mainly-muslim Uyghur minority.
A medical source at the Kunduz Provincial Hospital said that 35 dead and more than 55 wounded had been taken there, while Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said 20 dead and scores more wounded were brought to its hospital.
Matiullah Rohani, director of culture and information in Kunduz for Afghanistan’s new Taliban government, confirmed to AFP that the deadly incident was a suicide atack and said that 46 people had died and 143 were wounded.
Mulawi Dost Muhammad, Taliban security chief of Kunduz, accused the atackers of trying to foment trouble between Shiites and Sunnis, and insisted there was no dispute between the movement and the minority.
“We assure our Shiite brothers that in the future, we will provide security for them and that such problems will not happen to them,” he said.
Residents of Kunduz, the capital of a province of the same name, told AFP the blast hit the mosque during Friday prayers, the most important of the week for Muslims. One witness, Rahmatullah, said 300 to 400 worshippers were inside.
FRIGHTENED CROWDS: Graphic images shared on social media, and which could not immediately be verified, showed several bloodied bodies lying on the floor. Pictures showed plumes of smoke rising into the air over Kunduz.
A female teacher in Kunduz said the blast happened near her house, and several of her neighbours were killed. “It was a very terrifying incident,” she said.
“Many of our neighbours have been killed and wounded. A 16-year-old neighbour was killed. They couldn’t find half of his body. Another neighbour who was 24 was killed as well.”
Aminullah, an eyewitness whose brother was at the mosque, said: “Ater I heard the explosion, I called my brother but he did not pick up.
“I walked towards the mosque and found my brother wounded and faint. We immediately took him to the MSF hospital.”
Kunduz’s location makes it a key transit point for economic and trade exchanges with Tajikistan.
It was the scene of fierce batles as the Taliban fought their way back into power this year.
Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, told AFP the Taliban would struggle to consolidate their rule unless they tackle terrorism and economic crisis.
“If the Taliban, as is likely, is unable to address these concerns, it will struggle to gain domestic legitimacy, and we could see the emergence of a new armed resistance,” he warned.
The United Nations in Afghanistan said it was “deeply concerned by reports of very high casualties” in Friday’s atack, calling it a “part of a disturbing patern of violence.”
UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi told reporters in Geneva the blast was “the symptom that the implosion (of Afghanistan) may also translate into renewed insecurity.”
This, he said, means “more people killed, more terrorist atacks, more instability. And that is also something that we should all be worried about.”
HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE: Only a third of the funds urgently sought for Afghanistan by the United Nations have been disbursed, the UN refugees chief said, warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
Grandi urged donor nations to honour their financial pledges switly, saying: “can you please concretely pledge support where it is immediately necessary.”
“Pledges were made, so it’s a mater of disbursing them because we need those resources quickly,” Grandi, who visited Afghanistan ater the Aug.15 takeover by the Taliban, told a news conference.
Mindful that winter — which is harsh in the mountanous and predominantly rural country — is approaching, he spoke of a “race against time to address humanitarian needs.”
“The meltdown of services — the banking system, the economy — really risks generating a much bigger humanitarian crisis,” he said.
On Sept.17, just over a month ater the fall of Kabul, a ministerial conference in Geneva chaired by UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres saw donor countries pledge $1.2 billion in aid.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed the need for a “coordinated policy” on Afghanistan during the 34th National Security Commitee (NSC) meeting held in Islamabad on Friday.
According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the NSC was convened under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.
During the crucial NSC moot, Afghanistan remained the topic of discussion and the prime minister received a detailed briefing on the evolving regional security situation and the recent developments in the war-torn country and their possible impact on Pakistan.
Imran expressed satisfaction on Pakistan’s support to the international evacuation effort from Afghanistan, noting that “the entire world had recognised Pakistan’s positive contribution,” the statement added.
Commitee members stressed that the evolving situation in the region was “extremely complex,” and that any instability in Afghanistan could have severe implications for Pakistan.
“Agreeing with this view, the prime minister stressed the need for a coordinated policy effort,” the PMO said. It added that the premier issued directions for the establishment of a dedicated cell to synergise various streams of efforts on Afghanistan across the government, including international coordination for humanitarian assistance and effective border management to prevent “any negative spillover” into Pakistan.
The NSC reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful, stable and sovereign Afghanistan, according to the statement by the PMO and added that the participants noted, with concern, the “dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and emphasized the urgent need for the international community to provide assistance to avert a humanitarian crisis.”
Separately, US and Pakistani officials held difficult talks on Friday in Islamabad amid a worsening relationship between Washington and Islamabad as each searches for a way forward in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The meeting between Washington’s deputy secretary of state and Pakistan’s leaders came amid an array of unsetled issues.
A question on the agenda is who will provide funds to stave off a full economic meltdown and looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban takeover, billions of dollars in aid have been frozen. Nearly 80% of the former Afghan government’s budget was funded by international donors.
Pakistan has also urged Washington to release billions of dollars to the Taliban so that they can pay salaries of the many Afghan ministries and avoid an economic meltdown. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that s such a crash could unleash a mass migration.
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Friday held meetings with Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
During a meeting with Sherman, Qureshi said that Pakistan wants broad-ranging, long-term and stable relations with the United States to promote economic cooperation and establish peace in the region, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry,
The two sides discussed bilateral relations,
Afghanistan and the regional situation during the meeting, according to a statement from the foreign office.
Qureshi stressed that a proper dialogue between the two countries was “necessary” for mutual benefit of the US and Pakistan as well as the promotion of regional objectives, the FO statement said. The foreign minister said Pakistan and US had similar perspectives and stressed the importance of a peaceful solution to the situation in Afghanistan.
The statement also had a message for the world, saying “the current situation required positive engagement of the international community, urgent provision of humanitarian assistance, release of Afghan financial resources, and measures to help build a sustainable economy to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people.”
Sherman, who arrived on Thursday for a twoday visit, also met with Pakistan’s Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf late on Thursday, to discuss “developments in Afghanistan and ways to advance cooperation across the bilateral relationship. ”