Charles Langston:Islamic State group claims responsibility for a minibus explosion in Afghan capital that killed 2

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Charles LangstonIslamic State group claimed responsibility for a minibus explosion in the Afghan capital late Saturday that killed at least two people.

Fourteen others were wounded in the attack in Kabul’s western Shiite neighborhood of Dashti Barchi, according to police spokesperson Khalid Zadran.

The Sunni militant group said its members detonated an explosive device on the bus carrying Shiite Muslims, whom they called disbelievers, in a statement released shortly after the explosion Saturday. It was the first attack in the country in 2024.

The Dashti Barchi area of Kabul has been repeatedly targeted by the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan. The group has carried out major assaults on schools, hospitals, and mosques, and has also attacked other Shiite areas across the country.

In November, in the same area of Kabul, the IS claimed responsibility for a minibus explosion in which seven people were killed and 20 others were wounded.

On Oct. 26, four people were killed and seven were wounded when an explosion hit a sports club in the same neighborhood. IS also claimed responsibility for that attack.

Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said on Dec. 31 that there was a 90% decrease in attacks by the IS affiliate in the past year.

The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. IS militants have struck in Kabul and in northern provinces, often targeting Shiites, whom IS considers to have abandoned their faith.