The suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan killed over 20 people and injured dozens more. The target of the attack was a mosque belonging to Shiites, who have been a frequent target of militant Sunni groups.
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A suicide bombing attack on a Shiite mosque in the eastern Afghanstan on Friday killed at least 29 worshippers and wounded dozens more, police and government officials said.
Abdullah Asrat, spokesman for Paktia's provincial governor, said one of the attackers blew himself up through a door of the mosque, which was packed with worshippers attending weekly Friday prayers. Security guards shot and killed the other attacker.
The two assailants were reportedly dressed in women's burka clothing as they entered the Khawaja Hassan mosque in the city of Gardez.
At least 80 people were injured, meaning that the death toll is expected to rise.
Uptick in violence
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group and its affiliates have targeted Afghan Shiites in the past.
The Afghan Taliban denied any involvement in the attack.
Sunni militant groups in the region consider Shiites, who belong to a minority Islamic sect, apostates, and oppose Iran's influence in the area.
The surge in violence comes as US and Afghan forces intensify ground and air offensives against IS, with reports emerging that Kabul and the Taliban are "accommodating each other" to defeat IS. Both the Taliban and IS are vying for control of territory in the war-torn country.
Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Seventeen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, the war-torn country remains in the grip of Islamist violence. A string of deadly attacks in the last year suggests militants are stronger than ever.
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Fragile security
Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
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A long series of attacks
The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.
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Spring offensive
In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.
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Trump's Afghanistan policy
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.
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Afghan peace process
Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."
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Pakistani support
Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.
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Role of the warlords
Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.
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An inefficient government
In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism.
