Terrorist attack in Kabul on July 23, 2016

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80 people were killed and 231 injured in the suicide attack in Kabul on July 23, 2016 on a peaceful demonstration by the Hazara minority . Two attackers from the terrorist organization of the so-called Islamic State (IS) blew themselves up in a square in Kabul amid the demonstration.

background

The Hasara number around three million members and speak a Persian dialect. In contrast to the majority of the Afghan population (and also the Taliban ), who are of Sunni faith, the majority of them are Shiites and, like all Shiite faiths, are considered infidels by the Sunni IS terrorists. The Hasara have long suffered discrimination and persecution, as well as economic disadvantage.

The IS fighters in Afghanistan are mainly recruited from the ranks of the old Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). They are concentrated in parts of Nangahar province , which lies between the capital Kabul and the border with Pakistan , and compete with the Taliban militias they are fighting.

In view of the threat posed by IS, observers see increasing uncertainty among the Hazara, which will drive many to flight. As early as 2015, the ethnic group provided a large proportion of the refugees from Afghanistan in Europe.

attack

On July 23, 2016, there was a demonstration by members of the Hazara in Kabul, who demanded an overland power line from the central government through their home province of Bamiyan . Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the thousands of people demonstrating. 80 people were killed and 231 injured.

Afghan security sources reported that an IS commander from the province of Nangahar , the neighboring province of Bamiyan, had ordered the attack.

Reactions

The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Zarif condemned the attack and declared that "the terrorist attack in Afghanistan [...] is a new act of Daesh's barbarism ". He called for the unity of denominations. Shiites and Sunnis would have to unite to defeat the extremists. In a televised address , Afghan President Ashraf Ghani declared the following day a national day of mourning and threatened to retaliate against those responsible for the attack.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Latest: 10-Day Ban on Public Gatherings in Afghanistan ( English ) Associated Press via ABC News . July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  2. ^ A b c d Willi Germund: Attack in Afghanistan: Kabul announces retaliation . In: fr-online.de . July 24, 2016 ( fr.de [accessed July 25, 2016]).
  3. ↑ AFP Kabul: 80 killed in twin explosions during Kabul protest, IS claims responsibility ( English ) Hindustan Times . July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  4. ^ Saleem Ali: Helping the Hazara of Afghanistan and Pakistan ( English ) National Geographic. January 16, 2012. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  5. ↑ Mirwais Harooni: Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul attack, 80 dead ( English ) Reuters . July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  6. ↑ Steve Visser, Masoud Popalzai: ISIS claims Afghanistan explosion that kills dozens ( English ) CNN . July 23, 2016. Accessed July 23, 2016.
  7. ↑ ISIL-claimed blasts kill dozens in Kabul Hazara protest ( English ) Al Jazeera . July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  8. ↑ tagesschau.de: Afghanistan: State mourning after IS attack. In: tagesschau.de. Retrieved July 25, 2016 .
  9. ↑ Kabul explosion: Islamic State 'admits attack on Hazara protest'. BBC News, July 23, 2016, accessed July 25, 2016 .