The 2024 Guzara Attack was a terrorist attack against Shia Muslims in Guzara, Herat Province, Afghanistan on April 29, 2024, by the Islamic State – Khorasan Province.[2]
| 2024 Guzara attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Afghan conflict and terrorism in Afghanistan | |
| Location | Imam Zaman Mosque, Guzara, Herat Province, Afghanistan |
| Date | April 29, 2024 21:00 |
| Target | Shia Muslims[1] |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapon | AK-47 |
| Deaths | 6 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrator |  Islamic State – Khorasan Province |
| Motive | Anti-Shi'ism |
Background
editThe Islamic State as a whole has made its ideology of Islamic Statism to Sunni supremacy and Takfirism against Shia Muslims with attacks like the Camp Speicher massacre,[3] unlike the group it split from, Al-Qaeda, which attempts to maintain positive Shia–Sunni relations.[4]
Attack
editOn the night of April 29, 2024 at 9 PM, an attacker stormed into the Imam Zaman mosque and opened fired on worshippers inside.[5][6] The attacker sprayed bullets randomly at worshippers, killing six, including a 3-year-old child and the Imam who was leading the prayers, and injuring one.[7][8] The attacker used an AK-47 to shoot at the worshippers before he fled the scene.[9]
Aftermath
editThough no one immediately took responsibility for the attack,[10] a day later the Islamic State – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility through their telegram channel.[11] Many organizations and people condemning the attack including the former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, said on a post on X: "I strongly condemn the attack on the Imam Zaman Mosque, I consider this terrorist act against all religious and human standards.",[12] the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan,[13] the Iranian embassy in Kabul,[14] and the Taliban with them denouncing and accusing the Islamic State even before they claimed responsibility for the attack.[15]
References
edit- ^ "6 killed in an attack on Afghan mosque". Al Bawaba. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "A gunman kills 6 worshippers inside a Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan, the Taliban say". Associated Press. Islamabad. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Muqarrar Fi Al-Tawhid Li Al-Mu‘askarat (Standard Text for Islamic Creed for Military Camps) (1436/2015). Al-Dawlah Al-Islamiyah Hai’ah Al-Buhuth Wa Al-Ifta; cited in Kadivar, Jamileh (May 18, 2020). "Exploring Takfir, Its Origins and Contemporary Use: The Case of Takfiri Approach in Daesh's Media" (PDF). Contemporary Review of the Middle East. 7 (3): 259–285. doi:10.1177/2347798920921706. S2CID 219460446.
- ^ "Iran, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban; Close Relations between Shiite and Sunni Fundamentalists: A Strategic Move or a Matter of Expediency?". aissonline.org. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Gunman kills at least six in attack on mosque in Afghanistan's Herat". Al Jazeera English. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "A gunman kills 6 worshippers inside a Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan, the Taliban say". The Washington Times. 2024-04-30. ISSN 0732-8494. OCLC 8472624. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Afghanistan: Shooting attack on mosque kills 6". Deutsche Welle. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Gul, Ayaz (2024-04-30). "Gun attack on Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan kills 6 worshippers". Voice of America. Islamabad. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Sharma, Shweta (2024-05-01). "Isis claims responsibility for deadly Afghanistan mosque shooting". The Independent. ISSN 1741-9743. OCLC 185201487. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "A gunman kills 6 worshippers inside a Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan: Taliban". The Indian Express. 2024-04-30. OCLC 70274541. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "A Gunman Kills 6 Worshippers Inside A Shiite Mosque In Western Afghanistan, The Taliban Say". Outlook. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Afghanistan: Gunman kills 6 worshippers inside a Shiite mosque, the Taliban say". Le Monde. 2024-05-01. ISSN 1950-6244. OCLC 833476932. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Gunman kills 6 worshippers inside Shiite mosque". SunStar. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Gunman kills at least six in attack on mosque in Afghanistan's Herat". The Frontier Post. Herat. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Gunman kills 6 in attack on Afghan mosque". Pakistan Observer. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-11-13.