Islamabad: In a harrowing incident that has shaken the western province of Herat, Afghanistan, a lone gunman stormed into the Imam Zaman Mosque during evening prayers and opened fire on the unsuspecting worshippers. The brutal attack, which occurred on Monday night in the Gujra district, claimed the lives of six individuals and left one other injured.
The mosque, a sanctuary for the local Shia minority, became a scene of terror as the assailant, whose motives remain unclear, managed to escape following the carnage. The Taliban’s Interior Ministry, now overseeing the investigation, has yet to apprehend the perpetrator or uncover any affiliations to extremist groups.
The tragedy has drawn widespread condemnation, with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai denouncing the violence as an affront to all religious and humanitarian values. His sentiments were echoed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which highlighted the loss of a child among the victims and called for immediate action to protect vulnerable communities from such heinous acts.
This attack underscores the precarious position of the Shia community in Afghanistan, a frequent target for the Islamic State and other militant factions opposed to the Taliban’s rule. Despite the Taliban’s assurances of safety for all religious and ethnic groups since their return to power, the reality on the ground tells a different story, with rights monitors questioning the effectiveness of these protective measures.
As the nation grapples with this latest act of violence, the international community watches closely, hoping for justice and a renewed commitment to safeguarding the rights and lives of Afghanistan’s minority populations.
