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A9
WORLD NEWS Monday 23 april 2018

Q&A: How strong is the Islamic

State group in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An up- out by a military offensive, worship but Afghanistan's
start Islamic State affiliate as well as from among dis- security forces seem con-
that first appeared in Af- gruntled Taliban, who were founded on how to pre-
ghanistan in 2014 is becom- frustrated with a leadership vent the relentless attacks.
ing increasingly deadly and reigning in its violence and DO THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT
their attacks on the coun- considering negotiations to SUPPORT IN THE POPULA-
try's minority Shiites have end fighting. TION?
grown bolder. In Sunday's At its outset, the Islamic There is little support among An Afghan police officer stands outside a voter registration cen-
devastating bombing, a State was mostly confined Afghans for a movement ter which was attacked by a suicide bomber in Kabul, Afghani-
suicide bomber walked up to eastern Afghanistan's whose sole goal is killing Shi- stan, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
to a crowd outside a voter Nangarhar province, but in ite Muslims. q Associated Press
registration office and blew recent years it has gained
himself up killing 57 people. ground in the north and
Most of the dead were eth- northeast of Afghanistan.
nic Hazaras, who are Shiites Their ranks quickly swelled
Muslims. Another 119 peo- with Uzbek fighters, mostly
ple were wounded, many from Central Asia's Islamic
of them seriously. Movement of Uzbekistan,
It was the latest in a series many of whom were driven
of attacks by IS against the out of Pakistan's South Wa-
country's minority Shiites. ziristan tribal region by a
Following last year's attack military offensive. Analysts
on the Iraq Embassy in Ka- say the movement brutal-
bul, the extremist group is- ity's was unmatched and,
sued a warning to Shiites as outsiders to Afghanistan,
that they were coming the Uzbek fighters show no
for them. Since then, they compunction about car-
have carried out a number rying out mass killings. IS,
of horrific assaults target- with the aid of Uzbeks, has
ing their places of worship made inroads into northern
in Kabul and Herat in west- Afghanistan where Afghan
ern Afghanistan. Like their Uzbeks mostly live. There
counterparts in Syria and have been several reports
Iraq, insurgents belonging of open recruitment by IMU
to Afghanistan's Islamic members. The size of IS in
State group are radical Sun- Afghanistan is unknown,
ni Muslims who revile Shiites but estimates generally run
as apostates and believe between 3,000 and 5,000
that the entire Muslim world fighters.
should be ruled by a single WHAT DO THEY WANT?
caliphate. In Afghanistan, The IS in Khorazan prov-
it is known as the Islamic ince shares the Syrian and
State in Khorazan province, Iraqi IS goal of establishing
the ancient name of an a caliphate that governs
area that included parts of the entire Muslim world.
Iran, Afghanistan and Cen- Their only stated goal for
tral Asia. Afghanistan, however, is
HOW STRONG IS THE ISLAM- to rid it of Shiite Muslims,
IC STATE IN AFGHANISTAN, who make up roughly 15
AND WHO IS ACTIVE IN IT? per cent of the country's
When the Islamic State 35 million people. The over-
group first appeared in Af- whelming majority are Sun-
ghanistan its ranks were ni Muslims, who historically
mostly culled from among have lived in peace with
the most ferocious of Paki- their Shiite brethren. Shiites
stani Taliban from Pakistan's have stepped up secu-
Bajaur tribal region, driven rity around their places of