Blast kills dozens
ISIS behind bloodbath at Afghan mosque
At least 46 people were killed and dozens were wounded when an ISIS suicide bomber attacked a Shiite Muslim mosque during Friday prayers in northern Afghanistan.
In a televised statement after the blast, the region’s ISIS affiliate claimed responsibility for the explosion and identified the suicide bomber as a Uyghur Muslim.
The bomber targeted the Taliban and Shiites for allegedly agreeing to expel Uyghurs to meet demands from the Chinese government, the statement said.
ISIS and its affiliated groups have a long history of attacking the country’s Shiite minority.
The mosque in the city of Kunduz was packed for a prayer service when the attack took place. Photos from the scene showed the heavily damaged Gozar-eSayed Abad Mosque covered in debris, with blood splattered all over the facility and rescuers carrying a body wrapped in a white blanket.
More than 140 people were wounded in the blast.
A man who lives in the neighborhood said he ran to the mosque after hearing the explosion.
“I was busy at home doing construction work, and when the prayers started, the explosion happened,” Hussaindad Rezayee told The Associated Press. “I came to look for my relatives. The mosque was full.”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the incident on Twitter and said special forces were investigating it.
“This afternoon, an explosion took place in a mosque of our Shia compatriots in ... the capital of Kunduz province, as a result of which a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded,” he wrote.
Tensions between the Taliban and the ISIS branch in Afghanistan, also known as ISIS-K, have been growing since the Taliban takeover of the country and the withdrawal of U.S. troops in August. The terrorist group has long targeted Shiite Muslims and claimed responsibility for at least two recent deadly attacks in Kabul.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it was concerned with what appeared to be “very high casualties” in the latest mosque attack.
“Today’s incident is part of a disturbing pattern of violence: 3rd deadly attack this week apparently targeting a religious institution,” the agency said on Twitter.
A prominent Shiite cleric called on the Taliban to provide security for Afghan Shiites.
“We expect the security forces of the government to provide security for the mosques since they collected the weapons that were provided for the security of the worship places,” Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi said.
Dost Mohammad Obaida, the deputy police chief in Kunduz, pledged to protect minorities in the province.
“I assure our Shiite brothers that the Taliban are prepared to ensure their safety,” he said.
This new Taliban tone is in sharp contrast to the well-documented history of Taliban fighters committing a litany of atrocities against minorities, including Hazaras.
The Taliban employed similar tactics to those of ISIS during their 20-year insurgency, including suicide bombings and shooting ambushes.