The Hazara Shia community has been the target of recent terrorist attacks. Three bombings at the Sayed al-Shuhada school on May 8, 2021, caused the death of 85 civilians, including 28 women and 42 girls. Over 200 people were injured, with the majority being members of the Hazara community.
There was no official claim for the attack, but the targeted area is a common site for attacks from the ISIS affiliate, Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISKP) . The May 8 attacks were supplemented by a suicide bombing four months later in Kunduz that killed approximately 72 people. ISKP claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attacks by ISKP were met with retaliatory force from the Taliban, killing dozens of former security force personnel and officials. After gaining control of Malistan, Ghazni, the Taliban killed several civilians and 19 security force personnel.
The conflict between members of the ISKP and the Taliban has heightened in 2022, with each party committing targeted attacks aimed at inflicting as much damage and terror on the opposing group as possible.
On April 19, 2022, Shia Hazara became the target of three explosions that killed at least six people. The bombings were directed at the Abdul Rahim Shahid Secondary School in Kabul. Scores of other students were injured in the attacks.
On August 5, an IED explosion in a Shia neighborhood in western Kabul killed eight people while injuring another 18. The IED was hidden in a handcart loaded with vegetables and intentionally parked near a mosque where civilians shop for daily commodities.
On August 6, another explosion in a crowded neighborhood in western Kabul killed another eight people and injured 22 others. The blast was targeted at the Shia community. ISKP took responsibility for both attacks.
Non-state actors, specifically ISKP, have caused over 90% of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan since August 15, 2022. Taliban reports that the use of explosive weapons by ISKP has so far led to 1,022 civilian deaths in 2022.
The majority of ISKP's attacks have transpired in or near places of worship. Other targeted areas include busy roads, multiple urban areas, public gatherings, and public transport.
