Afghanistan: Rights group says Islamic State affiliate targeting Shia Hazara minority

Afghanistan has seen an uptick in attacks against Muslim minorities at mosques, schools, and even workplaces. A report by Human Rights Watch found that an affiliate group of the Islamic State has been targeting the Shia Hazara ethnic group in Afghanistan.

Human Rights Watch released a report Tuesday and found that an affiliate militant group of Islamic State has been targeting Shia Hazaras in Afghanistan in a series of attacks in places of worship and schools, among such venues.

The group added that the Taliban has also done little to protect the Shia Hazaras from attacks by the Islamic State affiliate nor provide their communities with the needed assistance and medical care.

“Since the Taliban takeover, ISIS-linked fighters have committed numerous brutal attacks against members of the Hazara community as they go to school, to work, or to pray, without a serious response from the Taliban authorities,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Fereshta Abbasi.

“The Taliban have an obligation to protect at-risk communities and assist the victims of attacks and their families,” said Abbasi.

The insurgent group claimed to have brought security to Afghanistan since retaking control of the country last year. However, the Islamic State-affiliated militant group continued its attacks on the Shia Hazara group, including Sikhs, Sufis, and other minorities, contrary to the Taliban’s claim.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Hazaras and is linked to three more, according to the report. Around 700 people were killed and injured by the group’s attacks.

The rights group also said the Taliban’s crackdown on the media meant that additional attacks were likely unreported.

One recent attack by the Islamic State militant group was a suicide bombing near the entrance of the Russian embassy in Kabul. At least six people were killed in the blast, including two employees from the embassy, with the four other victims being Afghan citizens.

Afghan police said the assailant was fatally shot by armed guards upon approaching the embassy gate in Darul Aman in southwest Kabul. It remained to be seen whether the attacker was able to detonate the device before getting shot or if the gunfire detonated the explosives.