Afghanistan: Blast outside Mosque in Kabul Kills 8, IS Claims Responsibility
New Delhi: The blast outside a mosque in the capital of Afghanistan killed eight and injured 18 so far. The Taliban official said that “A bomb hidden in a cart went off on Friday near a mosque in a minority Shiite neighborhood of the Afghan capital, killing at least eight people and wounding 18,”
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast that targeted the ethnic group Hazaras. Two explosions were reported from western Kabul targetting the ethnic group Hazaras, the largest religious minority in Afghanistan.
Also Friday, hundreds of Afghans — apparently organized by the Taliban — rallied in several provinces, denouncing the U.S. drone strike last Sunday that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri on the balcony of a Kabul safe house.
The Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief said, “The cart bombing happened in western Kabul, in the Sar-e Karez area. Once again, the enemy attacked on (holy days) and killed innocent civilians. The police have launched an investigation.”
However, the militant group said in a statement that 20 people were killed and injured in an attack launched in western Kabul.
IS, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, s seen as the greatest security challenge facing the country’s Taliban rulers. Following their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the IS headquarters in the country’s east.
The regional affiliate of IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, has increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country since the Taliban seized power last August.
(Vinayak)
