Gunmen attack court complex in northern Afghanistan
Unknown gunmen dressed in military uniforms have stormed a court complex in northern Afghanistan, local officials say.
The attack, which is still ongoing, took place in the provincial Appeals Court of Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday.
“Gunmen exchanged fire with Afghan security forces and the attack is ongoing,” Abdul Raziq Qaderi, the acting police chief of Balkh Province, said.
There are no reports of the identity of the attackers, but such assaults bear the hallmarks of those made by Taliban militants.
On March 17, armed men abducted six Shia Muslims from the Hazara ethnic community on a highway linking Afghanistan’s western province of Farah to neighboring Herat Province.
Last month, masked gunmen kidnapped 30 Shia Muslims as they were traveling on two buses. The incident took place in the southern province of Zabul on the road between the western city of Herat and Kabul.
The kidnapped individuals were men from the Hazara ethnic group, which is often targeted by militants in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
Fears have recently been growing over the influence of the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group in Afghanistan, which has witnessed years of instability despite the presence of foreign troops.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains in some provinces.
The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, have remained in the country in what Washington calls a support mission.
HJM/HJL/HMV
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