Another major terror attack in Afghanistan kills 33 people at a mosque.

 

People survey the damage. Reuters/Getty. 

Another major terror attack has occurred in Afghanistan with a bombing killing 33 people and wounding 73 more. Reuters. The attack comes on the heels of another major terror attack. This one too targeted a Shiite Mosque, this time in Kandahar. A local reporter said that the mosque was hit by three suicide bombers. One of them targeted the entrance of the mosque while two more bombers blew up inside. It is unclear what terror group was responsible for the attack but ISIS is the most likely suspect. ISIS has long targeted Shiite Muslims while the Taliban is also a group of Sunni extremists, but they have vowed to protect minorities in Afghanistan. 

My Comment:

I covered the previous ISIS terror attack in Afghanistan here. It seems pretty clear that the end of US involvement in Afghanistan was not the end of the war. It appears that ISIS is stepping up their major terrorist campaign in Afghanistan. This was a brutal attack and the casualty rate might not be final. 

And it doesn't seem like the Taliban are up to the task of defeating ISIS. ISIS has gone underground and right now what is needed is not military action but good old fashioned police work. If ISIS was still acting like an army, taking and holding territory, it would be a simple thing for the Taliban to launch an attack on them. But if they are underground? It's a lot more difficult. 

I don't have much doubt that this was an ISIS attack. I don't see who else could be responsible. Al-Qaeda is a suspect but they are a shadow of their old selves and are allies with the Taliban. I don't see them pulling off this attack. And I'm not really aware of any other major terror groups operating in Afghanistan. 

As for ISIS this probably will be a major recruiting opportunity for them. Right now ISIS in Afghanistan is one of the few groups launching major attacks. They are pretty much the only game in town and I have already heard of some militants from Syria and Iraq going to Afghanistan to fight. 

What should the United States do about these attacks? Not a thing. We should be serious about ending the war in Afghanistan. This is the Taliban's problem, not ours and if they can't deal with it so be it. Perhaps if they fail so bad that ISIS goes back to taking over territory we can have a discussion about launching air strikes. But under no circumstances should we send troops back.