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Herat mosque bombing sparks widespread condemnation
Friday’s deadly bombing at a mosque in Afghanistan’s western Herat province has been condemned widely by individuals, governments and organizations.
At least 18 people including a prominent cleric, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman Ansari, were killed in the explosion at Gazargah mosque in Herat city, where people gathered to offer congregational Friday prayers. 23 others were wounded, according to officials.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack. “Continued attacks on Afghans going about their daily lives, including attending places of worship, must stop,” UNAMA said on Twitter.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also said it “vehemently” deplores the blast.
“Though the security environment has admittedly improved over recent months the OIC General Secretariat pointed out, it remains gravely concerned that sporadic attacks and explosions in various provinces across the country continue to mar the security, social peace of Afghan people,” OIC said in a statement.
The United States, Pakistan and Iran also condemned the attack.
“My heartfelt condolences to the families of the many victims who lost their lives or were hurt in the Herat Guzargah Mosque explosion. We condemn this senseless act of terrorism. Perpetrators must be brought to justice,” US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, tweeted.
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The people of Pakistan stand with their Afghan brothers and sisters in this time of sorrow and grief,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran “will stand by Afghanistan and its oppressed people in the fight against the evil phenomenon of extremism, violence, and terrorism.”
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), also condemned the attack and vowed that its perpetrators will be punished for their “heinous act.”
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Afghanistan says Pakistani military post destroyed near Spin Boldak
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak was targeted and destroyed after Pakistani forces opened fire toward Afghanistan.
Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said in a post on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or damage in the clash.
Khwarazmi also rejected claims made by the Pakistani side about the incident, describing them as “propaganda.”
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Mujahid: Pakistan attacking Afghanistan to evade Mecca Pact responsibilities
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghanistan to divert attention from its domestic problems and to evade responsibilities under the “Mecca Pact.”
Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid said Pakistan was facing political and economic challenges at home and was using attacks on Afghanistan to shift public attention away from protests and its internal problems.
“Pakistan, by violating the territory of its neighboring Islamic country, wants to divert attention from its failures,” he said.
Mujahid also criticized Pakistan’s political situation, claiming that political space had been restricted and that freedoms guaranteed under the country’s laws were not being allowed.
He said Pakistan’s economic problems had also increased significantly and accused the country of seeking to distract the public from those problems by engaging in conflict with Afghanistan.
Mujahid further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of putting the Pakistani people at risk through what he described as its “false position.”
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
His remarks followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Thursday, which Afghan authorities said killed four civilians.
The strikes came three days after attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces, in which Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed.
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Kabul rejects U.S. claim that meth seized in Pakistan was of Afghan origin
Balkhi said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi has rejected a U.S. claim that 463 kilograms of synthetic drugs seized in Pakistan were of Afghan origin, calling the attribution “unfounded and politically motivated.”
Balkhi said the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad should investigate the origin of the seized drugs in Pakistan rather than attributing them to Afghanistan.
“The attribution by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad of the synthetic drugs bound for Sri Lanka and intercepted in Pakistan through joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts as ‘Afghan-origin’ is an unfounded and politically motivated allegation,” Balkhi said.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Balkhi also claimed that following the ban in Afghanistan, the cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics have increased “on the other side of the Durand Line.”
He further argued that Afghanistan does not have the capacity to produce synthetic drugs and said crossing points along the Durand Line have been completely closed to all movement for nearly a year.
His remarks came after the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said U.S. and Pakistani anti-narcotics authorities had seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million and bound for Sri Lanka.
The embassy said the operation led to multiple arrests and highlighted ongoing U.S. cooperation and training with Pakistani authorities to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.
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