Afghanistan is arming hundreds of civilians nationwide to help protect mosques during one of the holiest months on the Islamic calendar after several deadly attacks on Shia religious sites. Shias, who number around three million in overwhelmingly Sunni Afghanistan, have regularly been targeted by Islamic State militants and accuse police and troops of failing to protect them. Acting Interior Minister Wais Barmak said the training of “hundreds of people” recruited by the ministry to protect mosques had almost finished. There were two major assaults on Shia mosques in August alone. In July 2016 twin explosions ripped through crowds of Shia Hazaras in Kabul, killing more than 80 people and wounding hundreds more.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 20, 2017 13:41 UTC