Kabul/Tehran – IS, which has challenged the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for the bombings in Kandahar. On Friday, a bomb blast in the Shiite place of worship killed at least 63 people. These blasts in southern Afghanistan had repercussions even in Pakistan and Iran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned that the IS attacks would divide Iran and Pakistan, along with Afghanistan.
The Taliban is accused of hiding information about an attack on the Shiite shrine in Kandahar. The Taliban say only 47 people were killed in the blast. But local, administrative and burial officials are accepting that 63 people were killed in Friday’s blasts in a hushed voice. The condition of the injured admitted to the hospitals is also said to be critical and the death toll is expected to rise. At the same time, the Taliban is being criticised for not taking action against IS.
Late on Friday, IS claimed responsibility for the blast in Kandahar on social media. IS also announced the names of the terrorists who carried out the suicide attacks, including Anas al-Khorasani and Abu Ali al-Balochi. As soon as the names were announced, Iran’s foreign ministry expressed concern. The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned that IS incited minorities in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Kandahar bombings.
Khorasan is claimed to have spread to modern-day Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Balochistan is spread to the south of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the group is demanding an independent Balochistan. Iranian Foreign Ministry clarified IS’ intentions without directly mentioning this. In this context, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has accused IS of provoking a particular community in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Kandahar bombings. Iran’s foreign ministry also said it believed civilians from those countries would not fall victim to this malicious propaganda of the IS.
The blasts in Kandahar have had repercussions even in Pakistan. Earlier, IS militants targeted Taliban militants in Jalalabad, the capital of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. But the southern Afghan province of Kandahar borders Pakistan. Therefore, Pakistani analysts are claiming that the blast in Kandahar is a threat to Pakistan’s security.
Russia, meanwhile, has also expressed concern over the growing influence of IS in Afghanistan. Russia has said that the increasing influence of IS and al Qaeda and their other affiliates in Afghanistan could threaten the security of neighbouring Central Asian countries.
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