The Taliban authorities have pledged to provide more security at Shi’ite mosques as hundreds gathered on Saturday (16 October) to bury the dead of the second Islamic State suicide strike on worshippers in a week.
The Hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Kandahar’s Fatima mosque, in which a gang of suicide bombers shot their way into the mosque before blowing themselves up amid the attendees during Friday prayers.
According to a health official, the death and injury toll from the incident was 41 at the time of the attack and could grow higher. Furthermore, he said, “Some of the wounded are in a critical condition and we are trying to transfer them to Kabul.”
On Saturday, a massive crowd gathered in Kandahar’s southern city to bury the white-shrouded bodies in a mass grave.
The Kandahar police chief claimed that units will be dispatched to defend Shi’ite mosques, which had previously been secured by local volunteer forces with special clearance to carry guns.
Taliban Spokesman said on Twitter that, “Unfortunately they could not protect this area and in future, we will assign special security guards for the protection of mosques and Madrasas.”
The attack on Kandahar’s Fatima mosque, also known as the Imam Bargah mosque, came just a week after a similar attack on a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which killed up to 80 people.
Under the last Western-backed government, attacks on Shi’ite mosques and targets affiliated with the Hazara ethnic minority make Afghanistan’s largest Shi’ite ethnicity.
The bombings have continued since the Taliban took power in August, casting doubt on the movement’s claim to have delivered peace to Afghanistan after decades of conflict.
The Islamic State has carried out hundreds of operations since its takeover, ranging from small-scale attacks against Taliban targets to large-scale operations like Friday’s suicide bombing, which killed dozens of civilians.
