KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The regional branch of the Islamic State, ISKP, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Hazaras in the border region between Ghor and Daykundi provinces in central Afghanistan, which killed and injured at least 20 people.
The attack occurred on Thursday afternoon, September 12, in Pahlosang village, situated between the Hazara-populated provinces of Ghor and Daykundi.
The victims, all residents of Sangi Takht district in Daykundi province, were traveling to the border region to welcome pilgrims returning from Karbala, Iraq, when they were ambushed and attacked by armed men.
ISKP, who views Shia Hazaras as “heretics,” took credit for the attack via its news outlet hours after the incident, stating that it targeted Hazaras, killing 15 and injuring six others.
Local sources confirmed 14 deaths and six injuries, with the injured individuals in critical condition. The list of victims obtained by KabulNow shows that all those killed were men.
The Taliban authorities have yet to comment on the incident.
The incident has provoked widespread condemnation from the UN Special Rapporteur, Afghan citizens, politicians, activists, and armed groups opposing the Taliban, all calling for accountability and justice.
In a post on X today, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, stated that the incident “bears the hallmarks of international crimes” and requires “prevention, protection, and international accountability.”
The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the attack and called for an investigation to hold those responsible accountable.
In a statement, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), an anti-Taliban armed group, denounced the attack as a “crime against humanity,” pointing out that the massacre took place while the local population had been disarmed and the only armed forces in the region are the Taliban militias.
This is not the first attack of this kind in the area. According to sources, a few weeks ago, unidentified armed individuals killed a young Hazara man and injured two others in the same region.
Members of the Hazara community have long been targeted by Sunni extremist groups, including the Taliban, who currently hold power in the country. Since the beginning of 2024, at least six attacks on Hazaras across Afghanistan have been reported, all claimed by the ISKP terror group.
Earlier last month, ISKP claimed responsibility for an explosion in the Hazara-populated Dasht-e-Barchi area of western Kabul, which killed at least one person and injured 11 others, including three women.
Despite the Taliban’s claims of maintaining security and dismantling ISKP, the terrorist group has carried out major and horrific attacks targeting the Hazara ethnic group over the past three years, hitting schools, hospitals, mosques, gyms, and public transportation.
The Taliban’s failure to protect vulnerable communities, such as the Hazaras, and to provide medical and other support to survivors and their families exacerbates the harm caused by these attacks.
The targeted attacks against the Hazara community in Afghanistan have been widely condemned and have sparked global protests. Human rights groups and activists have labeled these attacks as ongoing genocide, urging the UN and the international community to formally recognize them as such.
Last month, the American Bar Association (ABA), a U.S.-based organization of lawyers, passed a resolution urging governments to “recognize, stop, and prevent” further acts of genocide against the Hazara people in Afghanistan.
The association also urged the U.S. Department of State and Congress to enhance national, regional, and international frameworks for preventing mass atrocities in Afghanistan and safeguarding at-risk groups like the Hazaras.
Similarly, in his report to the Human Rights Council last year, Richard Bennett expressed concerns about ongoing human rights violations and the violent persecution of Shia Hazaras under the Taliban regime.
Mr. Bennett called for a comprehensive investigation into the targeted attacks on Hazaras and other religious minorities in Afghanistan. He emphasized that these attacks are “becoming increasingly systematic in nature and reflect elements of an organizational policy.”
