Herat: The terrorist group Daesh has claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a minority Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan, resulting in the death of six people on Monday.
Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the interior ministry, stated on Tuesday morning that an unidentified assailant opened fire on civilian worshippers in a mosque in Herat province’s Guzara district around 9:00 p.m. local time the previous night. Qani reported the death of six civilians and one injured person via the social media platform X.
The regional chapter of Daesh asserted late on Tuesday that multiple gunmen armed with machine guns had raided the mosque, contradicting the official narrative of a lone attacker.
Local sources revealed that the targeted mosque, situated south of the provincial capital Herat, served the Shiite minority community. Among the casualties were an imam and a three-year-old child. Witnesses stated that a group of three gunmen carried out the assault, with one stationed outside and two entering the mosque during prayers.
Ibrahim Akhlaqi, the brother of the slain imam, recounted the tragic event, describing how worshippers were shot during prayer. Sayed Murtaza Hussaini, 23, added that those inside the mosque either lost their lives or sustained injuries.
While Taliban authorities have often downplayed casualty figures in previous attacks, Daesh’s regional chapter remains a significant security threat in Afghanistan, particularly targeting Shiite communities.
Since assuming power in August 2021, the Taliban government has pledged to safeguard religious and ethnic minorities. However, rights observers have criticized the government’s response to minority protection as inadequate.
The deadliest attack attributed to Daesh since the Taliban’s resurgence occurred in 2022, resulting in the deaths of at least 53 people, predominantly young girls and women, in a suicide bombing targeting an education center in Kabul.
Despite Taliban claims of eradicating Daesh from Afghanistan, a United Nations Security Council report from January highlighted ongoing recruitment efforts by the militant group in the region. While Daesh’s operational capacity has diminished due to counter-terrorism measures by the Taliban, it still poses a significant threat within Afghanistan and beyond.
Daesh’s regional chapter, spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia, claimed responsibility for the March attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall concert venue, which resulted in over 140 fatalities, marking Russia’s deadliest attack in two decades.
