KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for urgent and effective measures to protect the Hazara community in Afghanistan following the latest deadly ISKP attack.
In a statement on Friday, September 13, HRW urged governments engaging with the Taliban to advocate for better protection of all at-risk communities in Afghanistan, including the Hazaras.
According to HRW, since its emergence in Afghanistan in 2015, ISKP has killed and injured thousands of Hazaras and members of other religious minorities in the country, targeting them in mosques, schools, and workplaces.
The watchdog noted that since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, ISKP has claimed responsibility for at least 17 attacks on Hazaras, resulting in over 700 deaths and injuries.
HRW emphasized that ISKP bombings and other targeted attacks against the Hazara community amount to crimes against humanity.
“This latest attack underscores the urgent need for the Taliban to take effective measures to protect all at-risk communities in Afghanistan, including Hazaras and other Shia Muslims,” HRW said.
Members of the Hazara community have long been targeted by ISKP and other extremist groups in Afghanistan, which rights groups and activists describe as a genocide against the community.
The latest targeted attack on Hazaras occurred on Thursday, September 12, in a remote border area between central Daykundi and Ghor provinces, killing 14 people and injuring six others.
The victims, all residents of Daykundi province, were ambushed while traveling to welcome family members returning from a pilgrimage to Shia holy sites in Karbala. Four armed men stopped their vehicle and opened fire on them.
The regional branch of Islamic State, ISKP, which views Shia Hazaras as “heretics,” claimed responsibility for the attack, as it has for dozens of similar attacks on the community in recent years.
The latest killing of Hazaras has drawn widespread condemnation from the community, the UN, activists, rights groups, and Afghan politicians, all calling for accountability and justice.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the “heinous” attack, extended his condolences to the victims’ families, and wished a swift recovery for the injured. He also reiterated his call for the protection of civilians at all times.
The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur, urged preventive action and accountability, noting that the killings have the hallmarks of “international crimes.”
Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, called for increased attention to the plight of Hazaras and their protection, saying that this incident is part of a broader pattern of devastating violence against the community.
