Taliban’s Warning to Shiites in Ghazni: ISIS Intends to Attack Muharram Ceremonies

Bayan News – Sources in Ghazni province of Afghanistan say that the Taliban intelligence in this province has warned the Shiites that ISIS intends to attack the Shiites during the Muharram period.

A reliable source told the Afghan media that this warning from the Taliban intelligence was raised in a meeting with the Shiite Ulema Council of Ghazni on Wednesday (July 10).

Maulvi Hashemi, the representative of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, informed the Shiite scholars in Ghazni that ISIS forces from neighboring countries have entered Afghanistan to attack the Shiites.

This Taliban security official has asked the Shiite scholars in Ghazni province to cooperate with the Taliban forces to ensure the security of the Ashura mourning ceremonies, so that no security incident occurs.

The reporter of Baha news agency tried to get the view of the Shiite Ulema Council of Ghazni province on this matter, but they refused to respond despite repeated contacts.

While the Taliban intelligence officials are warning of an ISIS attack on the Shiites, they claim that ISIS has been suppressed in Afghanistan over the past two years and has no physical presence.

Concurrent with these Taliban claims, however, ISIS has carried out several terrorist attacks against Shiites in the western Herat and northern Baghlan provinces of Afghanistan in the past year.

Nevertheless, with the approach of the Muharram days, the Taliban has assured the Shiites that they have taken special security measures for the observance of the Muharram ceremonies in Afghanistan and there is no cause for concern.

Taliban to Shia Clerics: Do not worry about the security of Ashura ceremonies