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A30 world news
Diasabra 16 OctOber 2021

Suicide attack on Shiite mosque in Afghanistan kills 47

killed and at least 70 wound- al-Bayt, a global religious so- the threat posed by IS.
ed in the attack. ciety, condemned the attack
in Kandahar, accusing the se- Neighboring Pakistan, which
Murtaza, a worshipper who curity forces in Afghanistan has urged world leaders to
like many Afghans goes by of being “incapable” of ad- work with the ruling Taliban,
one name, said he was inside dressing such assaults. condemned the “despicable
the mosque during the attack attacks on places of worship”
and reported four explosions: The Islamic State group, in a statement from its for-
two outside and two inside. which like Afghanistan’s rul- eign ministry.
He said Friday prayers at the ing Taliban is made up of
mosque typically draw hun- Sunni Muslims, views Shiite The Taliban have pledged to
dreds of people. Muslims as apostates deserv- restore peace and security af-
ing of death. ter decades of war and have
Another witness, also named also given the U.S. assuranc-
Murtaza, was in charge of IS has claimed a number of es that they will not allow the
security at the mosque and deadly bombings across the country to be used as a base
said he saw two bombers. country since the Taliban for launching extremist at-
He said one detonated ex- seized power in August amid tacks on other countries.
(AP) — Suicide bombers after a bombing claimed by plosives outside the gate, and the withdrawal of U.S. forc-
attacked a Shiite mosque the local Islamic State affili- the other was already among es. The group has also target- The Taliban have pledged,
packed with worshippers ate killed 46 people at a Shiite the worshippers inside the ed Taliban fighters in smaller too, to protect Afghanistan’s
attending Friday prayers mosque in northern Afghani- mosque. attacks. Shiite minority, which was
in southern Afghanistan, stan. persecuted during the last
killing at least 47 people He said the mosque’s secu- If the attack was carried out period of Taliban rule, in the
and wounding 70, a Tal- The sectarian bloodletting rity personnel shot another by IS, it would be the first 1990s.
iban official said. It was has raised fears that IS — an suspected attacker outside. major assault by the extrem-
the deadliest day since the enemy of both the Taliban ist group in southern Af- Both the Taliban and IS ad-
U.S. military withdrawal. and the West — is expanding Video footage showed bodies ghanistan since the U.S. de- here to a rigid interpretation
its foothold in Afghanistan. scattered across bloodstained parture enabled the Taliban of Islamic law, but IS is far
There was no immediate carpets, with survivors walk- to consolidate control of the more radical. It has better-
claim of responsibility for Hafiz Sayeed, the Taliban’s ing around in a daze or crying country. Recent attacks in the known branches in Iraq and
the carnage at the Fatimiya chief for Kandahar’s depart- out in anguish. north, the east and the Afghan Syria.
mosque in Kandahar prov- ment of culture and informa- capital have cast doubt on the
ince. The attack came a week tion, said 47 people had been The Shiite Assembly of Ahl Taliban’s ability to counter

Australian state to end quarantine for vaccinated travelers

(AP) — Sydney will end Sydney’s is the first Austra- off the printer from the New health since he replaced his
hotel quarantine for vac- lian international airport to Qantas Airways responded South Wales government,” predecessor Gladys Berejik-
cinated passengers when reopen because News South to the news by bringing for- Foley said. lian last week.
scheduled international Wales has the highest vacci- ward scheduled international
flights restart in Australia nation rate of any state. flights by two weeks to Nov. Queensland state, which has But Australian Tourism Ex-
within two weeks, offi- 1. The first flights will op- remained virtually free of port Council, which repre-
cials said on Friday, while Prime Minister Scott Morri- erate between Sydney and COVID-19 throughout the sents the nation’s tourism
maintaining some restric- son approved the Nov. 1 trav- Los Angeles and Sydney and pandemic through tight state export sector, welcomed the
tions on foreigners enter- el resumption, but has yet to London. border controls, has hinted end of hotel quarantine.
ing the country. say when foreign tourists will it would open to vaccinated
be welcomed back in Austra- Limits on hotel rooms avail- interstate travelers by Christ- “Australia’s tourism industry
Vaccinated travelers who test lia. He has ruled out this year. able for quarantine have been mas. has borne the brunt of inter-
negative for COVID-19 be- Australian permanent resi- a major barrier for Australians national border closures with
fore flying to Australia’s larg- dents and citizens will be free who want to come home. “There’s just been an enor- many businesses suffering
est city would be spared 14 to travel next month for the mous change this morning with no income since March
days in hotel quarantine from first time since the nation’s It is unclear whether return- that I haven’t been able to get 2020,” the council’s manag-
Nov. 1, New South Wales border was closed in March ing Australians will be able my head around so I need to ing director Peter Shelley
state Premier Dominic Per- last year by some of the to avoid hotel quarantine work out what that change said.
rottet said. toughest travel restrictions in in other states by landing in means,” Queensland Chief
the democratic world. Skilled Sydney then catching domes- Health Officer Jeannette “This announcement not
The major relaxation of the migrants and students would tic flights across state lines. Young said. only gives tourism businesses
state’s pandemic restrictions, be given priority in coming their income back, but also
which makes entering Aus- to Australia over internation- The government of Victoria Health professionals have lets the world know they are
tralia easier for some travel- al tourists. state, which has overtaken accused Perrottet of putting welcome back in Australia,”
ers, was announced four days neighboring New South economic priorities ahead of he added.
after Sydney came out of a Morrison said on Friday that Wales as Australia’s CO-
106-day lockdown. parents of Australians would VID-19 hotspot, is keen to
be reclassified as immediate see details of the quarantine
“We can’t live here in a her- family, enabling foreign na- changes.
mit kingdom. We’ve got to tionals to visit grandchildren
open up and this decision to- born in Australia during the Peppered by journalists’
day is a big one, but it is the pandemic. questions about the two
right one to get New South states’ conflicting quaran-
Wales connected globally,” Grandparents previously had tine policies, Victoria Health
Perrottet said. to wait until tourists were al- Minister Martin Foley re-
lowed back to reunite with plied: “Everyone just needs
“It’s going to be great for our families. But restrictions on to take a chill pill.”
tourism industry, it’s going foreigners entering Australia
to be great for tourist opera- would otherwise not change, “We are not aware of the full
tors,” he added. Morrison said. details of a media release hot