RASC News Agency: Residents and civil society activists in Herat province, in western Afghanistan, have voiced dissatisfaction with the recent surge in insecurity, particularly targeted killings in the province, and have called for improvement. Ramin, a resident of Herat, told RASC News Agency on Tuesday, April 30, that the recent insecurity and terrorist attacks on prominent figures in the country highlight the Taliban’s weakness and inability to protect citizens, sparking concern among the population.
He added, “If security is fully established throughout the country and its provinces, why are terrorists able to carry out attacks even in the city center?” According to him, the Taliban often carry out terrorist attacks targeting specific individuals, especially religious scholars. He warned that if the situation persists, it will provoke significant reactions from the public.
Similarly, Asghar, another resident of Herat, told RASC News Agency that “ISIS has established a foothold in this province.” He asked, “If ISIS is not present in Herat, why do terrorist attacks occasionally occur against Shia people, and why are Shia mosques in the province subjected to targeted terrorist attacks?” He suggested that if the Taliban claims that ISIS is not present in Afghanistan, then the Taliban themselves may be orchestrating and carrying out these attacks against specific individuals or groups.
Despite this, Asma Afreen, a civil society activist in western Afghanistan, confirms that the Taliban deliberately target Shia progress and advancement, resulting in terrorist attacks against them. She stated that this Taliban strategy is neither the first nor the last time such attacks have occurred in Herat province, and they are likely to continue. According to her, if the Taliban’s oppressive policies persist, various segments of society will rise against them to eradicate oppression from the country.
Meanwhile, Farzad Radmehr, a university professor in western Afghanistan, told RASC that “the Taliban occasionally create such insecurity and terrorist attacks against prominent individuals in Herat province to demonstrate to regional and global countries that ISIS is growing and infiltrating the region. This, in turn, encourages comprehensive cooperation with the Taliban to root out the emerging ISIS threat.”
He stated, “Currently, some neighboring and regional countries are aligned with the Taliban, while others in the region and beyond seek to strengthen the extremist ISIS group.” He added that the current battle is between the Taliban and ISIS, with Afghanistan serving as the battleground for these groups.
This follows last night’s attack by unidentified gunmen as the imam of the Imam Zaman Mosque and several worshipers were leaving the Mohammadiah township in Herat province. Six people, including the imam, were killed in the attack, and one other person was wounded.
Taliban officials in Herat province condemned the attack and announced that security forces have launched an investigation.
