The United States joined the international community in expressing outrage in response to the heinous attacks on the Mumtaz Education Center and the Abdul Rahim Shahid school in Kabul and offered condolences to the families and other loved ones of those killed, according to an April 19 statement by Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price. Several attacks targeting civilians of the Hazara Shia minority group in April were attributed to ISIS-K.
In one unclaimed attack that killed congregants of a Sufi mosque in Kabul, an explosion tore through the Khalifa Sahib mosque in the west of Kabul on the last Friday of Ramadan. The roof of the mosque collapsed on worshippers. At least 10 people were killed and up to 15 more were injured, with reports of far higher casualty figures reported from local hospitals, according to the United Nations. Mette Knudsen, the UN Secretary General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan said, “No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act, targeting a place of worship, as Muslims across Afghanistan prepare to celebrate Eid.”
The UN Security Council issued a statement following the string of attacks in April, reaffirming “that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.”
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter condemned the targeting of members of minority groups in the strongest terms and said, “The United States is also committed to supporting the ability of all Afghans, including members of religious minority groups to practice their religion freely, without fear of violence against them. We are also extremely concerned about the rise of attacks in Afghanistan and call for an end to these cowardly attacks and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.”
Attacks Targeting Minorities in Afghanistan Condemned
The United States joined the international community in expressing outrage in response to the heinous attacks on the Mumtaz Education Center and the Abdul Rahim Shahid school in Kabul.
