ISIS Attacks On Shiites In Afghanistan Aims To Incite Religious Hatred, Says Moscow

Condemning the recent ISIS attack on the Shiite Mosque in Pul-e-Khomri city of Baghlan province, Maria Zakharova Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the attack was carried out to incite religious hatred.

Zakharova called the attack "inhumane, unjustifiable and an incident which caused instability in Afghanistan".

On Monday, in a statement quoting Maria Zakharova, the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry wrote that Russia strongly condemns the latest terrorist attack by the ISIS group against the Shiite minority in Afghanistan.

She urged the Taliban to identify and punish the organisers of this terrorist attack.

Zakharova also stressed on eradicating terrorism in Afghanistan.

On October 14, a suicide attack took place at the Imam Zaman Mosque in Pul-e-Khomri city of Baghlan province. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, 17 people were killed and more than 50 people were injured in the attack. The Taliban, however, reported a death toll of seven individuals killed and 17 wounded.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, stating in a release that it resulted in the death of 50 Shiites and the injury of dozens of others.

During the past years, religious and cultural places and gatherings of Hazaras and Shiites have been attacked many times.

On Monday, Thomas West, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, on social platform X wrote, “Afghanistan’s Shi’a community has suffered far too much from violent extremists.”

The United Nations Security Council and the European Union have also condemned the attack.