Will target Shia Muslims in their homes, centre: IS

Men cover the graves of victims with soil after their burial at a graveyard in Kandahar on Saturday. Pics/AFP

The Islamic State (IS) terror group has said that they will attack Shia Muslims everywhere, Khaama Press reported. The group's Al-Naba weekly has published the warning on Saturday, which adds that Shia Muslims will be targeted in their homes and centre. The warning came a day after the terror group's Khorasan branch (IS-K) carried out the twin bombings inside the Shia mosque in Kandahar that claimed the lives of 63 people while injuring 83 others.

Friday's attack took place exactly after a week when another Shia mosque in Kunduz city was hit by a suicide bombing which claimed the lives of at least 50 people. The IS-K had claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest since the US forces left Afghanistan at the end of August. Saturday's warning has especially threatened Shia Muslims living in Afghanistan, and the IS added that that they cooperate and support Iran and other countries against the IS-K.

A man mourns the death of his relative at a graveyard in Kandahar on Saturday

The IS-K is now the biggest threat that threatens the Taliban government after they took over Afghanistan. In the meantime, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has purportedly said that their fighters will be deployed to man the security of mosques, especially of the Shia Muslim ones. Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned of IS fighters entering Afghanistan from Iraq and Syria.

Taliban rejects Putin's claim of IS presence

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim that IS terror group was present in the north of the country, saying it was "baseless", the media reported. Addressing a virtual summit of the Commonwealth Independent States on Friday, Putin said that Russian data has revealed that 2,000 IS fighters are in the north of Afghanistan, TOLO News reported.

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