In Afghanistan’s Daikundi province, armed individuals attacked a gathering of the Shia Hazara community, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 6 injuries.
According to a statement from the Afghan Ministry of Interior, gunfire was indiscriminately directed at families and civilians gathered to welcome pilgrims returning from Karbala.
The attack has been claimed by ISIS-Khorasan, a group involved in multiple suicide bombings against Imambargahs and Taliban security forces since the Taliban came to power.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, there has been significant peace in Afghanistan.
Armed groups and criminals have either been killed or captured, with the remaining ones having repented.
However, ISIS-Khorasan remains a threat, with the international community also recognizing it as a danger, despite the Taliban’s claims that the group has been weakened in Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, ISIS-Khorasan conducted a suicide attack in Kabul, killing 6 people.
In May of this year, tourists in Afghanistan were targeted, resulting in the deaths of 6 individuals, including 3 foreigners.
ISIS-Khorasan is a branch of ISIS operating in Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
The UN Counter-Terrorism Office warned this month that ISIS-Khorasan has become the biggest terrorist threat to Europe, having improved its financial and logistical capabilities over the past 6 months.
However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed this warning as mere propaganda, asserting that ISIS-Khorasan has significantly weakened in Afghanistan.