On Monday evening, a tragic incident unfolded in Herat province’s Guzara district, as an unidentified gunman launched an attack on a mosque, resulting in the loss of six innocent lives and leaving one individual injured, according to Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s interior ministry.
په ډیرې خواشینۍ سره نن د شپې ۹:۰۰ بجې د هرات ولایت د ګذرې ولسوالۍ اړوند شهرک سیمې د یو جومات پر عامو مونځ کوونکو باندې د یو ناپېژاند وسله وال کس لخوا ډزي شوي چې پکې شپږ تنه ملکي هیوادوال شهیدان شوي او یو تن ملکي وګړی ټپي شوی دپېښې نور جزیات به وروسته شریک شي.
— Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani – مفتي عبدالمتين قانع (@abdulmateenqani) April 29, 2024
The targeted mosque, which reportedly catered to the Shia community, became the scene of devastation, with the casualties including the mosque’s imam and a three-year-old child, as revealed by local residents. Eyewitnesses recounted that a group of three assailants, contrary to official reports, carried out the assault, with one positioned outside the mosque while the other two entered and opened fire on worshippers during evening prayers.
While no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicions have turned toward the regional branch of the Islamic State (IS) group, known for its frequent targeting of Shia communities in Afghanistan. Despite the Taliban government’s assurances to safeguard religious and ethnic minorities following its return to power in August 2021, rights groups assert that little has been done to fulfill this commitment.
The IS threat looms large over Afghanistan, with the group previously perpetrating notorious attacks, including the devastating suicide bombing of an education center in 2022, which claimed the lives of at least 53 individuals, predominantly young girls and women, in Kabul. While the Taliban attributed this attack to IS, concerns persist about the group’s continued presence and activities within the country.
Although Taliban officials have claimed to have eliminated IS from Afghanistan, the United Nations Security Council’s recent report highlighted ongoing recruitment efforts by IS in the region, underscoring the group’s potential to pose threats not only domestically but also regionally and beyond. Despite efforts to counter-terrorism by the Taliban, the specter of extremist violence continues to haunt Afghanistan, casting a shadow over the nation’s efforts to achieve stability and security in the aftermath of prolonged conflict.