ISLAMABAD — A gunman stormed a mosque in western Afghanistan, opening hearth and killing six folks as they have been praying, a Taliban official mentioned Tuesday. Native media studies and a former president of Afghanistan mentioned the mosque was focused as a result of it was a spot of worship for members of the nation’s Shiite Muslim minority.
In response to Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Taliban Inside Ministry, the assault occurred on Monday night time within the district of Guzara in Herat province. He mentioned in a put up on the social media platform X, previously Twitter, that an investigation was underway.
Nobody instantly claimed accountability for the assault, which additionally wounded one other worshipper, and the attacker fled the scene. Native media reported that the mosque’s imam was amongst these killed.
“I strongly condemn the assault on the Imam Zaman Mosque,” former Afghan President Hamid Karzai mentioned on X. “I contemplate this terrorist act in opposition to all non secular and human requirements.”
The Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan is a significant Taliban rival and regularly targets faculties, hospitals, mosques and Shiite areas all through the nation.
The Taliban seized energy in Afghanistan in August 2021, over the last weeks of the chaotic departure of U.S. and NATO troops from the nation after 20 years of battle.
Regardless of preliminary guarantees of a extra reasonable stance, the Taliban regularly reimposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic legislation, or Shariah, as they did throughout their earlier rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.