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A30 world news
Diasabra 9 OctOber 2021

IS bomber kills 46 inside Afghan mosque, challenges Taliban

have targeted Taliban posi- the attack as “part of a dis- di province, after members
tions and attempted to recruit turbing pattern of violence” of the security forces of the
members from their ranks. targeting religious institu- former government surren-
tions. dered.
In the past, the Taliban man- A prominent Shiite cleric,
aged to contain the IS threat Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi, In Kunduz province, Haz-
in tandem with U.S. and called on the Taliban to pro- aras make up about 6% of
Afghan airstrikes. Without vide security for the Shiites of the province’s population
these, it remains unclear Afghanistan. “We expect the of nearly 1 million people.
whether the Taliban can sup- security forces of the govern- The province also has a large
press what appears to be a ment to provide security for ethnic Uzbek population
growing IS footprint. The the mosques since they col- that has been targeted for re-
militants, once confined to lected the weapons that were cruitment by the IS, which is
the east, have penetrated the provided for the security of closely aligned with the mili-
(AP) — An Islamic State religious institutions and mi- capital of Kabul and other the worship places,” he said. tant Islamic Movement of
suicide bomber struck at a nority Shiites since U.S. and provinces with new attacks. Uzbekistan.
mosque packed with Shi- NATO troops left in August. Dost Mohammad Obaida,
ite Muslim worshippers This comes at a critical mo- the deputy police chief in Friday’s attack was the third
in northern Afghanistan The blast blew out windows, ment, as the Taliban attempt Kunduz pledged to protect to target a place of worship or
on Friday, killing at least charred the ceiling and scat- to consolidate power and minorities in the province. religious study in a week.
46 people and wound- tered debris and twisted transform their guerrilla “I assure our Shiite brothers
ing dozens in the latest metal across the floor. Rescu- fighters into a structured po- that the Taliban are prepared IS has also claimed two dead-
security challenge to the ers carried one body out on lice and security force. But to ensure their safety,” he ly bombings in Kabul, in-
Taliban as they transition a stretcher and another in a while the group attempts said. cluding the horrific Aug. 26
from insurgency to gover- blanket. Blood stains covered to project an air of author- bombing that killed at least
nance. the front steps. ity through reports of raids The new tone struck by the 169 Afghans and 13 U.S.
and arrests of IS members, it Taliban, at least in Kunduz, military personnel outside of
In its claim of responsibility, A resident of the area, Hus- remains unclear if it has the is in sharp contrast to the Kabul airport in the final days
the region’s IS affiliate iden- saindad Rezayee, said he capability to protect soft tar- well-documented history of of the chaotic American pull-
tified the bomber as a Uygh- rushed to the mosque when gets, including religious in- Taliban fighters committing out from Afghanistan.
er Muslim, saying the attack he heard the explosion, just stitutions. a litany of atrocities against
targeted both Shiites and the as prayers started. “I came minorities, including Haz- IS also claimed a bombing
Taliban for their purported to look for my relatives, the In Kunduz, police officials aras. The Taliban, now feel- on Sunday outside Kabul’s
willingness to expel Uyghers mosque was full,” he said. were still picking up the ing the weight of governing, Eid Gah Mosque that killed
to meet demands from Chi- pieces Friday at the Gozar-e- employed similar tactics to at least five civilians. Another
na. The statement was car- The worshippers targeted in Sayed Abad Mosque. Taliban those of IS during their 20- attack on a madrassa, a reli-
ried by the IS-linked Aamaq Friday’s were Hazaras, who spokesman Bilal Karimi told year insurgency, including gious school, in Khost prov-
news agency. have long suffered from dou- The Associated Press that 46 suicide bombings and shoot- ince on Wednesday was not
ble discrimination as an eth- worshipers were killed and ing ambushes. claimed.
The blast tore through a nic minority and as followers 143 wounded in the explo-
crowded mosque in the city of Shiite Islam in a majority sion. He said an investigation And they have not halted at- If Friday’s attack is claimed
of Kunduz during Friday Sunni country. was under way. tacks on Hazaras. by IS, it will also be worry-
noon prayers, the highlight of ing for Afghanistan’s north-
the Muslim religious week. It The Islamic State group and The death toll of 46 is the Earlier this week, a report ern Central Asian neighbors
was the latest in a series of IS the Taliban, who seized con- highest in an attack since for- by Amnesty International and Russia, which has been
bombings and shootings that trol of the country with the eign troops left Afghanistan. found the Taliban unlawfully courting the Taliban for years
have targeted Afghanistan’s exit of the foreign troops, are The United Nations mission killed 13 Hazaras, including a as an ally against the creeping
new Taliban rulers, as well as strategic rivals. IS militants in Afghanistan condemned 17-year-old girl, in Daykun- IS in the region.

Moroccan king seeks to secure key stocks after pandemic woes

(AP) — Inaugurating Mo- from the throne, he formally sues are, once again, front Othmani, whose Islamist would join the opposition
rocco’s new parliament, inaugurated the new parlia- and center,” he said. Justice and Development ranks.
King Mohammed VI ment’s first session Friday. Party (PJD) suffered a sting-
called Friday for a new na- The new cabinet, run by ing defeat in the Sept. 8 elec- The new coalition includes
tional system to manage Because of the COVID-19 Prime Minister Aziz Akha- tion. the RNI, the Authenticity
essential food, medicine pandemic, the inauguration nouch of the Rally of Na- and Modernity party and the
and energy stocks after ceremony in the parliament tional Independents party, is The PJD’s leadership re- conservative Istiqlal.
major disruptions caused building in the capital Rabat made up of 24 ministers, in- signed en masse after the
by the pandemic. was held on a smaller scale, cluding seven women. It was elections and said the party
with fewer members of the announced Thursday.
The speech came a day af- legislature’s two chambers in
ter the king appointed a new attendance than usual. Seven ministers retained
government made up of a their positions, including the
coalition of liberal and con- Noting that the pandemic has important foreign and inte-
servative parties and led by a caused major disruptions in rior ministers. Nadia Fettah
billionaire businessman. The supply chains in many coun- Alaoui, who was tourism
new parliament and govern- tries, the king insisted on the minister in the previous gov-
ment are the result of elec- need to set up “an integrated ernment, will be Morocco’s
tions last month that ousted national system to manage first female finance minister.
Islamists who had dominated the strategic reserve stock of
the legislature and run the essential goods and products, Akhanouch, one of Mo-
government for a decade. especially in the areas of food, rocco’s richest men, was ap-
health and energy.” pointed as prime minister last
The king holds ultimate month after his party placed
power in the North African “The COVID-19 crisis has first in legislative elections.
country. In a televised speech shown that sovereignty is- He replaced Saad Eddine El