Kabul Mosque Bombing Kills At Least 21

Facts

• A bombing at a Sunni mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers on Wed. reportedly killed at least 21 people, including a prominent cleric, and wounded 33 others.
• The cleric killed is believed to be Mullah Amir Mohammad Kabuli, and no one has yet claimed responsibility for the suspected suicide attack on the Siddiquiya Mosque in Kabul's Kher Khanna district.
• Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attack, which also injured several children, and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.
• The mosque bombing came a week after a prominent pro-Taliban cleric, Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani, was killed in a suicide attack in Kabul for which the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.
• In recent months, there have reportedly been increased attacks on mosques and minorities in Afghanistan associated with the IS affiliate group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K). The group has been active in Afghanistan since 2014 and is considered the biggest security threat to the Taliban.
• Separately, the Taliban confirmed Wed. that it had killed one of the group's former commanders, Mehdi Mujahid, as he had turned against them. Mujahid, who was reportedly captured trying to flee to Iran, was the only member of the Shiite Hazara minority in the group's ranks.

Sources: BBC News, CBS, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, and Hindu.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Politico. The tragic attack in Kabul is just the latest example of how the "emirate" is drifting into chaos and lawlessness since the West's withdrawal. This is compounded by economic collapse and an acute food crisis. But even in combat, the Taliban are failing. The ruthless rampage of the so-called ISIS-K bears witness to this. The US must prepare for an increasing threat to its security interests.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Business Insider. Afghanistan only makes the headlines when it comes to violence and tragedy. More attention must be paid to the country's humanitarian catastrophe. Due to the dire economic situation, 22.8M Afghans are facing acute food insecurity, and 3M children are at risk of malnutrition. The West contributes to this by, for example, not releasing Afghanistan's frozen reserves funds. This is a declaration of moral bankruptcy.