Pakistani Insurgents Attack Kabul Mosque

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In the early hours of Thursday morning, two Pakistani nationals, said to be members of the terrorist group Lashkar Jangawi, open fired on worshipers in a Shiite mosque in western Kabul. Three people were injured in the attack, but a nearby National Directorate of Security (NDS) patrol was able to arrive on the scene quickly and neutralize both attackers before anyone else was hurt. In a statement released later on Thursday, the NDS stated that the attack on the Imam Hassan Mujtaba mosque was an attempt by Pakistani intelligence officials to incite sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Afghanistan. "Pakistani fundamentalist groups are trying to start a religious conflict in Afghanistan, but they will never succeed," said Amrullah Saleh, former NDS Director. Nevertheless, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The mosque that was targeted was in the Dasht-e-Barche area of Kabul. Local residents and those who were worshipping in the mosque praised the way the NDS soldiers handled themselves and called for similar precision from security forces in the future. "The security forces prevented a catastrophe from happening," said Haqjo, a local resident. The attackers were reportedly disguised in Afghan National Police (ANP) uniforms. Following news of the attack, Dastagir Hedayat, along with other Afghan Islamic scholars, condemned the targeting of mosques, saying such acts were deplorable and a clear violation of Islamic values. In the past, the Taliban has targeted mosques, though know sectarian motivations have ever been attributed to such attacks. This incident comes just after President Hamid Karzai traveled to Islamabad to meet with newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The trip, which was intended to facilitate dialogue around bilateral relations between the two neighbors and the Taliban peace process, was considered a modest success. However, with incidents like the one on Thursday, and continued allegations from Afghan officials of Pakistan supporting insurgent and terrorist activities, it would seem a great deal still remains to be resolved between the two nations.