Islamabad, 08 June (HS). At least 11 people were killed in an explosion during an event in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province on Thursday. The event was organized in memory of the deputy governor of the province, Nisar Ahmed Ahmadi, who was assassinated a few days ago.
Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesman for the interior ministry, said a former Taliban police officer was among those killed in the explosion near the Nawabi Mosque, and 30 people were wounded. Takor expressed apprehension that the number of casualties could increase.
The attack apparently targeted a program organized in memory of Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi. Ahmadi was assassinated on Tuesday via a car bomb blast. The attack took place in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, in which his driver was also killed and 10 others were injured. The Taliban’s in-charge of information and culture, Moazuddin Ahmadi, confirmed Thursday’s blast and the death of Saifullah Shamim, a former Baghlan police chief.
No organization has claimed responsibility for this attack. But Taliban rival Islamic State claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s car bombing. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack, saying in a tweet that the bombing of mosques is an act of terror and inhumane and against Islamic standards.
Several senior Taliban officials attended the tadfeen (burial) of Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi on Wednesday. Taliban army chief Fasihuddin Fitrat condemned the IS attacks in Badakhshan and called on people to cooperate with Taliban security forces and report suspicious activities in their areas.
