Afghanistan: IS claims Kabul suicide bombing March 21 /update 2

Event

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing attack on the Shi'a Kart-e-Sakhi shrine in Kabul on Wednesday, March 21, that killed at least 32 people and wounded over 50 others. IS said that the attack targeted Shi'a citizens celebrating the Nowruz holiday (Persian New Year). Additional IS attacks on Nowruz-related gatherings are possible in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan in the coming days, as related festivities may continue in some areas for the next two weeks.

Context

The Kart-e-Sakhi Shi'a shrine has been the target of previous attacks by militants, and IS regularly targets Shi'a sites in Afghanistan, including in Kabul. Most recently, IS claimed responsibility for a March 9 suicide bombing attack on a crowd of Shi'a people near a mosque complex in Kabul that killed ten people and left 22 wounded.

Nowruz is celebrated annually beginning on March 21 in Farsi-speaking countries - including Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and parts of Pakistan and Iraq - and in associated diaspora and some Kurdish communities. It is a 13-day celebration that involves dinners, family visits, and recitations of poetry. Some cities also host street festivals. Some fundamentalist Islamist groups, such as the Taliban and IS, deride Nowruz as un-Islamic.

Advice

Individuals in Kabul are advised to monitor developments to the situation, remain vigilant for potential militant activity, report all suspicious objects and behavior, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.

More generally, the security environment in Afghanistan remains complex. Although travel is possible in some areas with proper security protocols in place, other areas should be considered strictly off-limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.