While Afghan and US officials continue to try to downplay the reach of the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, the group has once again carried out a major attack, this time going after a Shi’ite mosque in the capital city of Kabul.
There were nearly 1,000 worshipers inside the mosque at the time, when one ISIS suicide bomber entered on foot and detonated his charge in a crowd of people. At least 32 have been confirmed killed, and officials are estimating another 50 or so wounded.
As usual ISIS is claiming a much higher toll than the official one, saying they’d killed or wounded around 200 people in the attack,. Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority is often targeted by Islamist groups in the region, and ISIS appears to be no different in this regard.
The mosque was crowded for a Arbaeen prayer ceremony. The prayer happens 40 days after the important holiday of Ashura, which itself also saw a number of major attacks against Shi’ites in Kabul and elsewhere in the region.