Aftermath of deadly Afghanistan mosque attack скачать в хорошем качестве

Aftermath of deadly Afghanistan mosque attack

(15 Oct 2021) Suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque packed with worshippers attending Friday prayers in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 32 people and wounding 68, according to a Taliban official. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the carnage at the Fatimiya mosque in Kandahar province. It came a week after a bombing claimed by the local Islamic State group affiliate killed 46 people at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan. The sectarian bloodletting has raised fears that IS -- an enemy of both the Taliban and the West -- is expanding its foothold in Afghanistan. Eye witness, Ahmad Jawid, said one of the attackers detonated explosives in the corridor while another was already among the worshippers inside the mosque. Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi reported the number of dead and wounded. But a local hospital official who was not authorized to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity gave a higher toll, saying at least 37 people were killed and more than 70 wounded. The Islamic State group, which like Afghanistan's ruling Taliban is made up of Sunni Muslims, views Shiite Muslims as apostates deserving of death. IS has claimed a number of deadly bombings across the country since the Taliban seized power in August amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The group has also targeted Taliban fighters in smaller attacks. If the attack was carried out by IS, it would be the first major assault by the extremist group in southern Afghanistan since the U.S. departure enabled the Taliban to consolidate control of the country. Recent attacks in the north, the east and the Afghan capital have cast doubt on the Taliban’s ability to counter the threat posed by IS. The Taliban have pledged to restore peace and security after decades of war and have also given the U.S. assurances that they will not allow the country to be used as a base for launching extremist attacks on other countries. The Taliban have pledged, too, to protect Afghanistan’s Shiite minority, which was persecuted during the last period of Taliban rule, in the 1990s. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...