After Kunduz mosque attack, Taliban-IS showdown inevitable

Story by  Aasha Khosa | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Taliban officials inspecting Kunduz mosque after the blast (Courtesy: TOLO News)
Taliban officials inspecting Kunduz mosque after the blast (Courtesy: TOLO News)

 

 

Kabul

 

In Afghanistan, a showdown between the former allies - the Taliban and the ISIS - is on the cards as the latter has taken responsibility for the suicide attack in a mosque in Kunduz in which at least 55 Shia worshippers have died and scores of others are wounded.

 

According to media reports, the Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed that one of its members had blown himself up as a human bomb in the mosque. This attack is seen as the bloodiest one since the US forces left Afghanistan.

 

Though the Taliban officials didn’t name ISIS and said the Takfiri (Mischievous) elements were trying to create mayhem in the country, ISIS released a statement on Telegram channels to claim the attack.

 

According to Dawn newspaper of Pakistan, ISIS said that an “IS suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest amid a crowd.” In a second statement, the group claimed the suicide bomber was “Uighur Muslim.” This is a great provocation to the Taliban that has promised to expel all Uighurs from the country.

 

The Taliban have refrained from naming the IS-K. Zabihullah Mujahid, the government spokesman merely said, “A Shiite mosque was blown up by Takfiri insurgents in the Khan Abad Bandar area of central Kunduz province this afternoon, killing several of our compatriots and injuring several others.”

 

He promised to expose the perpetrators of the crime.

 

The Shia, mostly Hazaras, are 20 percent of Afghanistan’s population and are heavily persecuted in the country.  

 

In another move, the Taliban government has called the Islamic State (IS) a "headache", while downplaying that the terror group was a "threat", the media reported.

 

Adding that the group would soon be "suppressed", Zabihullah Mujahid, the Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, said: "We don't call Daesh (IS) a threat, but we call it a headache... It creates headaches in some places but is immediately taken out in every incident; (they) have been chased out and their sanctuaries found."

 

The Minister added that the people of Afghanistan do not support the IS.

 

However, political experts have said that the IS a serious problem for Afghanistan, warning that if tremendous efforts are not made to counter the group, it will extend its activities.

 

Tamim Bahis, a political analyst, said: "Daesh (IS) doesn't have international and regional support, and without support, Daesh will not be able to fight for a long time. However, fighting with Daesh will create problems for the Taliban." 

 

The Islamic Emirate recently arrested four IS-affiliated members in the Paghman district of Kabul, while two other terrorists were captured in the eastern province of Nangarhar. 

 

This comes as the international community has continued to voice concerns over the possible presence of IS in Afghanistan.