Afghanistan plans for a military offensive in coordination with USA troops against the Islamic State have become more urgent as the country marked a national day of mourning Sunday for 80 people killed and 231 injured in Kabul’s worst attack in 15 years.
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In a live television address Saturday, Ghani says “I promise you I will take revenge against the culprits”.
“But they will fail”, Tolo News quoted him as saying Ghani said that directed a special commission and the attorney general to investigate the incident and find those responsible.
A suicide bomber hit a large demonstration by members of Afghanistan’s Hazara minority in Kabul on Saturday.
On June 20, 2016, ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a bus carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul.The attack killed at least 16 people.
If confirmed as the work of IS, the attack, among the most deadly since the US-led campaign to oust the Taleban in 2001, would represent a major escalation for a group hitherto largely confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar.
“The death toll has jumped to 64 and 265 others have been wounded”, health ministry spokesman Mohammad Ismail Kawoosi said, adding that the toll could rise further.
At least 231 people were wounded in the attack.
Images on social media showed horrific scenes with scores of people wounded in the square where the protesters had gathered. The third bomber was killed by security forces at the scene before he could detonate his vest.
An Afghan intelligence source said an IS commander named Abo Ali had sent three jihadists from the Achen district of Nangarhar province to carry out the Kabul attack. He said in a statement that “our condolences go out to those who are affected by today’s attack”.
Amnesty International has also condemned the attack. That the minority Hazaras have mounted a strong demand for rerouting the Tutap power line reflects well on Afghanistan. The demonstration was targeted by two suicide bombers, though one of them was taken down by the Police before the explosives attached to his body could be detonated. The last one in May attracted tens of thousands.
The United States has 9.800 troops in Afghanistan working with Afghan forces against the Taliban, Islamic State and other insurgent groups.
In November, thousands of Hazara marched through Kabul to protest at government inaction after seven members of their community were beheaded by Islamist militants and several protesters briefly tried to force their way into the presidential palace.
The Taliban, a fierce enemy of Islamic State, had issued a statement denying any involvement.
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Daud Naji, from the Enlighten Movement that arranged the protest, said the government told them that there was a “heightened risk” of attack, and that they had cancelled nine of the 10 planned routes.
