KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The regional affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for the Thursday explosion in eastern Nangarhar province, saying it targeted and killed Taliban members.
The explosion occurred in Darai Nur district at around 12:25 PM on Thursday, August 22.
Yesterday, Abdul Basir Zabuli, the Taliban spokesperson for the Nangarhar security command, reported that the explosion killed six people, including five children, and injured four others.
According to him, the victims were civilians from eastern Nuristan province, including students and teachers, who were on their way to a mosque when their vehicle struck an old mine that detonated.
However, a local source in Nangarhar province confirmed to KabulNow today that the victims were family members of a Taliban commander, including two of his children.
The source identified the Taliban member as Mohammad Yousof Jamalzai, the Taliban security commander in Nuristan province, and said that he was not in the vehicle at the time.
Despite the Taliban’s claims that no active terrorist groups remain in Afghanistan and that they have dismantled ISIS-K, the terror group continues to expand its operations, targeting religious minorities and the Taliban themselves.
Following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, ISIS-K has emerged as the most capable branch of the ISIS terror organization.
In his recent report to the UN Security Council, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov noted a rise in the financial and logistical capabilities of ISIS-K in Afghanistan over the past six months.
During his briefing to the council earlier this month, the senior UN official described ISIS-K as a major threat with the capability to conduct terrorist attacks beyond Afghanistan.
He urged all UN member states to take unified action to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a breeding ground for terrorism with global consequences. “We must come together to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a hotbed of terrorism again,” he said.
