At least 26 people have been killed and another 52 injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up during Persian New Year's celebrations in Kabul. The "Islamic State" group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Afghan police block off the road in front of Kabul University after a suicide bomber targeted Shiite worshippers marking the Persian New YearImage: AFP/Getty Images
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New Year's festivities in the Afghan capital of Kabul turned deadly on Wednesday, after a suicide bomber detonated himself near the city's main university, killing at least 26 people.
Another 52 people were injured in the blast, according to Health Ministry officials. Several women and children were among the casualties.
Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi warned the death toll was likely to rise.
The "Islamic State" (IS) jihadi group claimed responsibility for the blast.
Bomb attacks shake Afghanistan
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Shiite worshippers targeted
The explosion went off on a road leading towards the Shiite Kart-e Sakhi shrine, where locals had gathered to mark the Persian New Year, known in Afghanistan as Nauruz. The country's Shiite minority typically marks the holiday by visiting such shrines.
Rahimi said that the bomber had sought to detonate himself by the shrine, but couldn't get closer due to tight security. Instead, "he detonated his explosive on Kabul University Road, right in front of Ali Abad hospital, among the civilians who were on the way to the shrine," he added.
Kabul's police chief, General Daud Amin, said the bomber had managed to slip past police checkpoints set up along the road. Authorities had already launched an investigation into the security breach and anyone found to have neglected their duties would be punished, he added.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Souleiman
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Extremist threats
IS claimed responsibility for the blast, according to the militant group's news agency, Amaq. "The martyrdom operation carried out with a suicide vest struck a Shiite gathering during their Nauruz holiday celebrations in the city of Kabul," it said.
Afghanistan's Shiite population has repeatedly been targeted by IS affiliates, who view the minority group as apostates of Islam. The Kart-e Sakhi shrine has been a target for previous militant attacks. In October 2016, IS gunmen killed 18 people who had gathered there to mark Ashura, a Muslim day of celebration that carries added significance for Shiites.
Afghanistan has been besieged by a wave extremist attacks since January by powerful IS affiliate groups that still remain powerful in the country. The Taliban has also been resurgent since the withdrawal of US-led NATO troops at the end of 2014, having taken back territory in Afghanistan and devastated the country's beleaguered security forces.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered last month to hold peace talks with the Taliban, although the militant group has shown no intention to sit down.
