Suicide Blast Claims 15 Lives at Assassinated Afghan Minister’s Funeral

Faizabad (Afg): On Thursday, a tragic incident occurred at a funeral service in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Interior reported that the blast, which claimed the lives of at least 15 people and left 50 others injured, took place during the funeral of Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, an acting provincial governor who was assassinated earlier in the week by a suicide bomber.

The Ministry of Interior strongly denounced this act of violence, referring to the perpetrators as “disgraced enemies.” Although security has seen significant improvements since the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, leading to the overthrow of a US-backed government and the end of their long-standing insurgency, the threat from the Islamic State group still persists.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the assassination of Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi. The attack occurred on Tuesday when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosives into Ahmadi’s vehicle, resulting in his death. Additionally, Ahmadi’s driver lost his life, and six others sustained injuries during that attack.

The unfortunate blast on Thursday unfolded at the Nabawi mosque in Faizabad, where a large number of mourners had gathered to pay their respects to Ahmadi. The interior ministry expressed deep regret over this incident.