[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jin-ho] Two consecutive weeks of suicide bombings have occurred at Shia mosques in Afghanistan. The Shia are a minority sect, comprising only 10-15% of the Afghan population.
According to major foreign media on the 17th, the extremist terrorist group Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) recently carried out successive attacks at Shia mosques.
IS-K, the Afghan branch of IS, conducted a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Kunduz in the north on the 8th of this month, and another suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Kandahar in the south on the 15th, resulting in over 100 casualties in each attack.
Both suicide bombings targeted the 'Friday prayer' time, when the most worshippers gather at the mosque. It is analyzed that the attackers aimed at Muslim men attending the joint prayer held at the mosque on Friday noon, which is obligatory.
IS-K claimed responsibility for both attacks by releasing how their operatives detonated the bombs.
Meanwhile, immediately after the attacks, the Taliban authorities promised to strengthen security and protection for Shia mosques. The Kandahar police chief appointed by the Taliban stated, "Unfortunately, we failed to protect (the Shia)," and announced, "From now on, special guards will be assigned to mosques and Islamic schools."
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