The Taliban claimed on Monday that an active branch of the Islamic State militant group had been shot down in the Afghan capital. A bomb blast near a mosque in Kabul has killed at least five Iraqi people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack hours later. AFP and Reuters news.
A day before the attack, an explosion took place in Jalalabad last Saturday. Four people were killed. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, IS is suspected.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Taliban fighters had launched an operation north of Kabul on Sunday evening following a mosque bombing.
He wrote on Twitter that the center of IS had been destroyed in a successful operation aimed at the target. Members of the militant group were killed at the time.
Eyewitnesses and AFP correspondents heard explosions and gunfire during the operation. Later, a photo published on social media showed a large explosion and fire.
Abdul Rahman, a Kabul resident and government employee, told AFP that several members of the Taliban’s special forces raided three houses in the area where he lived. At this time the fight lasted for several hours. They were awake all night at the sound of gunfire.
Abdul Rahman added that there were IS militants in the area. It is not clear how many militants were killed or arrested in the operation. However, the fighting between the two sides was intense.
The mother of Taliban spokesman Jabiullah Mujahid died last week. Prayers were offered at the Eidgah Mosque in Kabul on Sunday for the forgiveness of his soul. The mosque was blown up in the afternoon.
An official with the government’s cultural commission, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that five people had been killed and 11 injured in the blast. Among them are Taliban fighters in addition to civilians. “Three people involved in the blast have been arrested,” he said. ‘
Mujahid told AFP on Monday that an investigation into the blast was ongoing. However, preliminary information indicates the involvement of the group associated with IS.
Meanwhile, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Joseph Borel said on Sunday that the Taliban government’s behavior so far has not been very encouraging. He added that the collapse of Afghanistan’s economy would increase the threat of terrorism and other criminal activities in the country.
According to ANI, Taliban authorities say about 40 percent of historic sites in Afghanistan’s Herat province need to be repaired as a matter of urgency. Otherwise, it will not be possible to protect these installations from further damage. This information was given quoting Jalame Safa, the director of the information and culture department of the province.
