Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly attacks in Kabul

[Right_in_Virginia]

Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly attacks in Kabul
Fox News, Dec 28, 2017

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the simultaneous attack on an Afghanistan news agency and a Shiite cultural center in Kabul that left at least 41 dead and 84 wounded.

The terror group said in a statement through its propaganda agency that one suicide bomber wearing a vest carried out the attack along with three other bomb blasts, Reuters reported.

No U.S. troops or coalition force members were killed in the suicide attack.

The attack occurred during a panel discussion on the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union, Reuters reported, citing witnesses. A number of those attending the panel were students.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the center before storming the building when they set of more explosives in the basement.


More: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/12/28/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-deadly-attacks-in-kabul.html?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Simultaneous Kabul blasts kill at least 40, injure dozens at cultural center
Stars & Stripes, Dec 28, 2017

<snip>

The Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, in a statement on its Aamaq news agency, claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes days after a Christmas Day suicide bombing at the country’s main intelligence agency. The ISIS affiliate also claimed that earlier attack, which left six people dead and several wounded.

Thursday’s attack targeted a gathering of students and others who were attending an academic discussion about the Soviet invasion, which began on Christmas Eve in 1979, as well as an anniversary ceremony, said Hassan Mujtaba, an eyewitness.

"We were having the gathering in the basement,” he said in a phone interview. “There were many people, suddenly there was a big blast and after that I don't know what happened.”

***

The ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-Khorasan province, or ISIS-K, has carried out several high-profile attacks on Hazara gatherings, including a dual suicide bombing at a July 2016 Hazara demonstration, which killed at least 80 and wounded more than 230.

The U.S. had pledged this year to eliminate ISIS-K and has been backing Afghan forces battling the group mainly in the country’s eastern Nangarhar province along the Pakistan border, but the group has proven to be a stubborn enemy. An estimated 700 fighters belonged to the group in March, U.S. officials had said, but last month officials said they had killed 1,600 and estimated another 1,000 remained.

Also last month, Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said U.S. and Afghan special operations forces would soon “take the fight” to ISIS-K fighters who had established a foothold in the country’s northwest.


More: https://www.stripes.com/news/simultaneous-kabul-blasts-kill-at-least-40-injure-dozens-at-cultural-center-1.504283

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Kabul pre-Taliban....