Two days after deadly blast at Shia mosque in Kandahar, Islamic State issues threat
The Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) on Saturday confirmed that it was responsible for the blast in the Imam Bargah-e-Fatima Mosque in Kandahar. Suicide bombers entered the mosque which was full of worshipers attending Friday prayers.
Two days after a deadly blast at a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on October 15 (Friday) killed over 60 worshipers and injured more than 80, the Islamic State threatened in a statement that Shia Muslims are "perilous" and they will be targeted everywhere, according to a report by the Khama Press News Agency on Sunday.
"From Baghdad to Khorasan, Shia Muslims will be targeted everywhere," the terrorist group said.
Al-Naba, which is the Islamic State's weekly, published the warning. It further read that the Shia Muslims will be targeted in their homes and centres, the Khaama Press report said, adding the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) remains the biggest threat to the Taliban-ruled government in Afghanistan.
The IS-K on Saturday confirmed that it was responsible for the blast in the Imam Bargah-e-Fatima Mosque in Kandahar. Suicide bombers entered the mosque which was full of worshipers attending Friday prayers. Footage showed bodies lying on the floor and injured being taken to the hospital.
The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the bombing and underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.
This was the second bomb attack against a Shia mosque in Afghanistan over the past week. On October 8, a blast was reported from the Sayed Abad Mosque in Kunduz which killed over 100 people and injured several others. The IS-K has claimed responsibility for this attack as well.
Since the violent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August, several attacks against religious places in the war-ravaged country have been reported in recent days.