The Islamic State said in an online statement that it was responsible for the attack. The Islamic State said in an online statement that it was responsible for the attack. It was the latest attack in a terrorist campaign against the minority ethnic Shiite community that has intensified over the past two years. The Islamic State, a militant Sunni extremist group, regards Shiites as heretical, and some analysts have said it is attempting to drive a wedge between Afghan’s dominant Sunni populace and the minority Shiites. Last month, Mohammad Mohaqiq, an Afghan Shiite leader, traveled to Iran and publicly praised those who had taken up arms for that cause.

Source: Washington Post December 28, 2017 08:06 UTC