Daily Times

Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned yesterday’s heinous terrorist attack on a mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, resulting in loss of lives and injuries.

At least six people including imam of the mosque and a three-year-old child were killed in the attack, with local residents claiming the minority Shia community had been targeted.

“The people and government of Pakistan extend their heartfelt condolences to the people of Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families in this hour of grief,” a Foreign Office statement said. “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including despicable attacks on places of worship,” it added.

While no group claimed the attack, the regional chapter of Da’ish is the largest security threat in Afghanistan and has frequently targeted Shia communities. The Taliban government has pledged to protect religious and ethnic minorities since returning to power in August 2021, but rights monitors say they’ve done little to make good on that promise.

The most notorious attack linked to Da’ish since the Taliban takeover was in 2022, when at least 53 people – including 46 girls and young women – were slain in the suicide bombing of an education centre. Taliban officials blamed Da’ish for the attack, which happened in a Shia neighbourhood of the capital Kabul.