Suicide Attack on Gathering of Clerics Opposing War in Afghanistan

A suicide attack on a gathering of clerics in Kabul left at least seven dead and nine injured. Local news agency Ava reported that the attack occurred on Monday morning, June 14, at the site of the clerics' gathering in the Loya Jirga tent in front of the Polytechnic Gate in Kabul. Kabul police reported seven fatalities and nine injuries, although earlier reports had indicated four deaths. Ghafour Aziz, the head of police in the fifth district of Kabul, stated that if the suicide bomber had infiltrated the tent, the death toll would have been much higher. According to Hashmat Stanikzai, a police spokesperson, the attack targeted clerics who had declared suicide bombings as 'haram' (forbidden). The police spokesperson added that the suicide attack occurred as the clerics were leaving the gathering. According to Tolo News, over two thousand clerics from Afghanistan attended this gathering, and participants issued a joint fatwa declaring 'suicide, explosions, terrorism, banditry, and all forms of violence' as unacceptable in Islam. These clerics also urged the Taliban to join the 'peace process' in Afghanistan to prevent 'Muslim killing.' The statement further noted, 'The imposed war by foreigners has exhausted the people's patience, with dozens of children, youth, and elders killed daily from both sides in these wars. Mothers are left childless, and children become orphans, forcing hundreds of youth to flee the country.' This assembly considered Afghan citizens as victims of decades of war, especially in the last 16 years, and called on the Taliban and the Afghan government to resolve their differences through dialogue.