Last week, Afghan national security forces averted a gruesome attack of insurgents in Kabul. On Thursday, two suicide bombers disguised as police tried to enter a Shiite mosque in West Kabul but were identified and shot dead by the Afghan police. Their target was people who had gathered in the mosque to offer fajr (pre-dawn) prayers. The attack, if had not been prevented could be one of the bloodiest attacks of the insurgents. Three worshipers were injured in the incident.

Officials in Afghanistan intelligence agency — National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), an extreme Sunni militant group based in Pakistan was behind the attack on the mosque. LeJ is believed to have strong ties with Taliban and al-Qaida.

It is the second attack of LeJ in Kabul in two years. LeJ’s first attack in Kabul was carried out in December, 2011. A suicide bomber targeted the Muharram procession mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S). About sixty people including women and children lost their lives while more than a hundred were injured. The attack was strongly condemned by the people and government of Afghanistan.

Credit goes to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) that successfully averted Thursday’s heinous attack. It speaks of their growing capability and vigilance. After consecutive attacks by militants in capital Kabul, security in the city has been tightened to allow people go about their daily activities without fear of terror attacks.

Sectarian attacks have been unusual in Afghanistan, at least after ouster of Taliban in 2001. But if proper measures are not taken by government of Afghanistan, there is no doubt that the enemies will promote religious and ethnic hatred among the people by carrying attacks on religious groups. This would be disastrous for a country that has witnessed bloody conflicts over the last three decades. Such incidents are also going to greatly harm the national solidarity of Afghanistan and therefore must be prevented.

LeJ is a banned outfit based in Pakistan but has been operating openly. It has been responsible for a series of sectarian attacks that have taken lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of Shiite Muslims in that country. LeJ has killed about 1,300 people belonging to Hazara community in Quetta city of Pakistan alone. However, Pakistan government’s action against this terrorist group has been insignificant. Therefore, the group has extended its activities to Afghanistan.