HERAT, Afghanistan — The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the Monday night attack on Imam Zaman mosque in western Herat province, calling for urgent protection measures for the country’s Shia communities.
In a statement, UNAMA reported the attack “killed and wounded at least seven people, including a child.”
The agency stressed the need for “investigations, accountability for perpetrators, and enhanced protection measures for Afghanistan’s Shia communities.”
The Taliban reported that six civilians were killed and another was wounded in the armed attack at the Imam Zaman mosque in the Andisha Township of Guzara district, an area predominantly inhabited by Shias. The attack took place around 9 p.m. local time.
Abdul Matin Qanay, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Interior Ministry, said an “unidentified gunman” used a Kalashnikov rifle to fire on the congregation.
Additional sources indicated that at least seven people died and more than 10 were injured in the incident.
