ISIS group targets religious minorities in Afghanistan

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the Islamic State of Khorasan Province) repeatedly attacked Hazaras and other religious minorities at their mosques, schools, and workplaces.The Taliban have done little to protect these minority communities from suicide bombings and other unlawful attacks from the Islamic State’s (ISIS) affiliate in Afghanistan, according to the New York-based rights group.

“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 Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Taliban have an obligation to protect at-risk communities and assist the victims of attacks and their families.”

Since the Taliban seized power in August last year, the IS has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Hazaras and has been linked to at least 3 more, killing and injuring at least 700 people.

The Taliban’s growing crackdown on the media, especially in the provinces, means additional attacks are likely to have gone unreported. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that recent attacks by the group on Shia gatherings in Kabul killed and injured more than 120 people.

According to HRW, the Hazara are a predominantly Shia Muslim ethnic group that have faced discrimination and abuse by successive Afghan governments for over a century. During the 1990s, Taliban forces targeted the Shia for mass killings and other serious abuses. With the Taliban back in power, the Hazara have been increasingly concerned for their safety and whether the new authorities will protect them.

Source: Aninews