Kabul Hotel Shook by Blasts; Here’s Why Afghanistan is on Boil & Why Islamic State Offshoot is Linked to These Attacks

Armed men opened fire inside a hotel in central Kabul that housed some Chinese citizens in the latest violence in Afghanistan as Taliban tries to stabilise after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces.

The firing was continuing in the hotel in the Shahr-e-Naw area and a fire broke out on one of the floors, the sources said, adding that they expect casualties.

Residents of the area said the attack was carried out at a building where Chinese and other foreigners usually stay. The shooting continued after they heard a powerful explosion.

The attack is one of the several attacks carried on embassies, hostels and places housing foreigners. Though no terror group have claimed responsibility for the attacks, but it is believed to be carried out by the local offshoot of the Islamic State group, known as Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which is infamous for carrying out such suicide attacks.

Roadside Bomb Kills 6 in North Afghanistan

Just few days ago, a roadside bomb went off near a bus with government employees during rush hour on December 6 morning in northern Afghanistan, killing six people.

Mohammad Asif Waziri, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the police chief in Balkh province, said the bombing in Mazar-e Sharif, the provincial capital, also wounded seven people.

The bomb was placed inside a cart by the side of the road and detonated when a bus belonging to the Hiaratan gas and petroleum department was taking employees to work.

Students killed as Blast Hits School

Earlier on November 30, at least 19 people were killed and 24 others injured after a bomb blast hit at a madrassa in Aybak, southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. The blast took place in the city of Aybak in Samangan province, reportedly as people were leaving prayers.

The majority of those killed are believed to be children aged nine to 15, according to a report in BBC.

Russian Embassy Blast

Two Russian embassy staff in Kabul and four others were killed when a suicide bomber detonated explosives near the entrance of the embassy in September this year.

The attack, which also injured at least 10 others, was also claimed by Islamic State militant group on its channel on Telegram.

Police said the attacker was shot dead by armed guards as he approached the gate, in one of the first such attacks since the Taliban took power last year.

All About Islamic State Khorasan

Behind several of these attacks, the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the strikes.

The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is a transnational network that grew out of Pakistan and expanded its operational footprint into Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power.

The group is now Afghan-centric but remains active in parts of Pakistan. ISKP’s wars against the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban governments are comprised of interconnected kinetic insurgent campaigns and media warfare efforts, according to a report in The Diplomat.

The terrorist group views the Taliban as a kind of vector for Pakistan to spread its influence in Afghanistan and accused the new government of “working hard to implement the Pakistani version of Islam designed by ISI and CIA in US intelligence headquarters of Qatar.”

The group mostly attacks embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions as they tend to generate lots of international media attention.

ISKP Carrying Attacks Since 2016

Though the terrorist group is active post-Taliban takeover, the ISKP has been carrying out attacks as early as 2016.

In January 2016, the Islamic State carried out a suicide bombing against the Pakistani consulate in the city of Jalalabad in Afghanistan. Three militants wearing suicide vests detonated explosives and killed “several Pakistani intelligence officers” as well as dozens of people.

During 2021, there were multiple attacks on diplomatic targets in Jalalabad, including the assassination of a Pakistani consulate member in July and a series of bombings near the Indian consulate that killed several Taliban.

In August 26, 2021, the group carried out the famous blast at the Kabul airport that caused mass casualties as Afghan nationals, foreigners and embassies were evacuating from Afghanistan.

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