Dozens Killed and Injured in Armed Attack on Shia Mosque in Kabul

An armed attack on a Shia mosque in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, has left dozens dead and injured, with the Islamic State group, ISIS, claiming responsibility for the attack. The attack, which lasted for several hours on Friday, September 3rd, ended with all assailants being neutralized. Various reports have emerged regarding the casualties, but the Associated Press, citing the head of Kabul hospital, reported at least 20 dead and more than 50 injured. Mohammad Saleem Rasouli told the Associated Press that due to the severity of some injuries, the death toll may rise. It has been reported that the mosque's imam is among the dead, and many of the injured are children. In response to the attack, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the act and called on all Islamic authorities worldwide to denounce it. Ghani emphasized that extremists, having suffered defeats on the battlefield, have resorted to attacking places of worship. He stated that terrorism is doomed to fail and urged the people of Afghanistan to unite in the face of such attacks. Afghan police reported that the attackers were four individuals, two of whom carried out suicide bombings, while the other two were shot dead by security forces. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack through a statement on its affiliated website, Amaq, describing it as a 'martyrdom operation' by two of its fighters without providing further details. This attack is the latest action by ISIS in the Afghan capital, having previously claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing near the Iraqi embassy in Kabul earlier in August. At that time, ISIS issued a warning to Shia Muslims in Afghanistan, stating that it would carry out attacks on Shia mosques. Days after this attack, ISIS also claimed responsibility for another attack on a Shia mosque in western Herat province that left 32 dead.