Afghan Shiite mosque attacked by suicide bombers

Suicide bombers assaulted a Shiite mosque in southern Afghanistan that was packed with worshippers attending weekly Friday prayers, killing at least 37 people and wounding more than 70, according to a hospital official and an eyewitness.

The attack on the Imam Barga mosque came a week after a bombing claimed by a local Daesh affiliate killed 46 people at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan.

Murtaza, an eye-witness who like many Afghans goes by one name, said four suicide bombers attacked the mosque. Two detonated their explosives at a security gate, allowing the other two to run inside and strike the congregation of worshippers.

Speaking to The Associated Press by phone, he said Friday prayers are typically attended by around 500 people.
Video footage from the scene showed bodies scattered across blood-stained carpets, with survivors walking around in a daze or crying out in anguish.

A local hospital official was not authorized to brief media and so confirmed the casualty toll on condition of anonymity.
The extremist group, which is opposed to the ruling Taliban, views Shiite Muslims as apostates deserving of death.

Daesh has claimed a number of deadly bombings across the country since the Taliban seized power in August amid the withdrawal of US forces. The group has also targeted Taliban fighters in smaller attacks.

Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi confirmed the explosion and said an investigation was underway, without providing further details.

The Taliban have pledged to restore peace and security after decades of war. Both the Taliban and Daesh adhere to a rigid interpretation of Islamic law, but Daesh is far more radical, viewing itself as part of a worldwide Islamic caliphate that includes better-known branches in Iraq and Syria.

The Taliban and Daesh are Sunni Muslims, but they are bitterly split by ideology and have fought each other on numerous occasions.

That Taliban have pledged to protect Afghanistan’s Shiite minority, which suffered persecution during the last period of Taliban rule, in the 1990s.

Source: Arab News

 

The Liberum

The subtitle of The Liberum ("the voice of the people is the voice of God") reflects the concept that the collective opinions and will of the people carry divine importance. They embody truth and wisdom, particularly in a non-partisan arena that profiles itself as a marketplace of free ideas and thoughts.
See full bio >
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

Snake Eyes – The ‘98 prophesied signature death of Charlie Kirk

It seems I’m not the only one who seeks meaningful connections in real life through […]

Syria at the Brink: The Slow March Toward Partition

Syria stands at the edge of irreversible fragmentation. A series of covert meetings, shifting alliances, […]

Plan B: Syria’s descended Into Crisis Management Mode

Syria today is entangled in a dense web of geopolitical manoeuvring, broken promises, and competing […]

The Syrian Dilemma kickstarted the Israeli Era in the Levant

Syria today stands at the edge of an irreversible transformation, where internal disintegration, foreign mandates, […]

When Reform meets Resistance: The Fate of Hezbollah’s weapons

Lebanon’s cabinet is set to meet again on Thursday to address the contentious issue of […]

Syria’s Islamist-led Government is failing to live up to its pledge to protect its people

Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new interim leader, has failed in his responsibility to protect all Syrians […]