Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said that Nangarhar bombing is a criminal act and may account to “crimes against humanity and war crimes”.

AIHRC in a statement on Saturday said that mass killing of civilians in places of worship, social events and public gatherings that are repeatedly taking place in the country indicate targeted and systematic criminal acts, and the attack targeted worshipers in a mosque in Nangarhar province is considered to be one of such attacks.
This bombing may amount to “crimes against humanity and war crimes” due to the extent of atrocity used (successive explosion of two mines planted among worshipers) and the number of civilians killed, (about 62 killed and 60 injured), the statement read.

The statement noted that AIHRC’s monitoring reports, as well as reports from the media and national and international institutions indicate an increasing number of civilian casualties in the current year, and causes growing concern in the country.
According to the AIHRC these attacks amount to (whoever the perpetrators may be) crimes against humanity and war crimes, and AIHRC denounces them in the strongest possible terms, and calls on the parties to the conflict to respect human rights and international humanitarian law.
AIHRC called on detective security and judicial authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents in order to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The reaction of AIHRC comes after an explosion rocked a mosque in eastern Nangarhar province as dozens of people gathered for Friday prayers, causing the roof to collapse and killing 62 worshippers and wounding 36 others, officials said.
The attack has received national and international condemnation.

A man has been arrested in connection with the death of his father, Kabul police confirmed.

Kabul Police said that Ezatullah son of Sarwar, a resident of Bamyan province who currently lives in PD13 of Kabul stabbed his father to death.

The incident took place Saturday morning in Maidan Tolo area in vicinity of PD18 of Kabul city.

The individual had escaped the scene after the incident but was later arrested by police personnel of PD18, according to Kabul police.

Kabul police added that the detainee has confessed to his crime during primary investigation.

The Amnesty International in response to the bombing of a mosque in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province that claimed the lives of at least 62 lives said, “Killing scores of civilians while at prayer is a war crime.”

The Amnesty International’s Deputy South Asia Director, Omar Waraich declared that such intentional killing is not a war that is winding down, it is escalating and the people who are suffering the most are civilians.

Waraich noted that the Afghan people are being killed in higher numbers than at any time over the past decade, at the hands of armed groups, but also in operations led by Afghan and international forces.

“There must be a determined effort to protect civilians, ensure respect for international humanitarian law, and hold the perpetrators accountable. Deliberate attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks are never acceptable”, he said.

The Amnesty International stressed that the killing and maiming of Afghan civilians demands the world’s attention.

“The situation in Afghanistan should also awaken us to the callous policies of many governments, who have been forcibly returning Afghans to a country that grows more dangerous by the day”, Waraich added.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) revealed today that more civilians have been killed over the summer than at any point in the conflict. Between July and September 2019, 1,174 civilians were killed, according to UNAMA.

UNAMA previously reported that 2018 was the deadliest year on record, with more civilian and child deaths that any point since it began recording civilian casualties in 2009.

The Taliban group have abducted 6 members of People’s Peace Movement (PPM) in Logar province.
Bismillah Watandost, a spokesperson for People’s Peace Movement told Reporterly that six members of PPM were abducted by Taliban in Logar province while enroute to attend a peace gathering in the Shahrak area of Pul-e-Alam, the capital of the province.

He noted that the nature of the abduction is not clear yet.

This comes as Taliban group abducted four senior members of People’s Peace Movement on 3 June in Musa Qala district of Logar province

At least 20 Taliban insurgents have been killed in a series of airstrikes in Helmand province, said security officials.
Special Operations Corps in a statement said that 9 Taliban fighters were killed in an airstrike in Marjah district of Helmand province on Friday night.

The statement noted that 11 other fighters of the group were killed in a separate airstrike carried out in Nad-e- Ali district of the province.

A weapon cache, a ranger vehicle, and two motorcycles of Taliban group were destroyed in the airstrikes, the statement added.

At least four Taliban insurgents including a key commander of the group have been killed in Paktika province, said security officials.

Ministry of Interior (MoI) in a statement on Saturday said that a key commander of Taliban insurgents identified as Bashir was killed and another wounded in an overnight clearance operation of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in Ashk region, Wazakhwa district of Paktika.

The statement added that 3 insurgents were killed in a joint clearance operation carried out by ANDSF in Jamja and Sharabt regions of Paktika.

At least 10 IS-K terrorists related to Khorasan branch of the group have been killed in Nangarhar province, said local officials.

Nangarhar provincial governor’s office in a statement on Saturday said that the terrorists were killed in an operation of Afghan security forces carried out during past 24 hours in Achin district of the province.

The statement added that several compounds and hideouts of IS-K group were also demolished in the raid.

This comes as Nangarhar provincial governor’s office on 6 October said that 95 percent of Achin district has been cleared of IS-K terrorists and hundreds of embedded landmines have been discovered and defused as a result of joint security operation.

US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad has met with US army Gen. Mark Milley, the new Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying “He knows Afghanistan well.”

“We agreed that a political settlement that safeguards the homeland from terrorist threats, allows us to reduce the burden of war & protects two decades of progress in Afghanistan is in our national interest,” Khalizad said.

This comes as previously, the top U.S. military officer has warned America’s adversaries to “never underestimate our skill, our capability and our combat power.”

Army Gen. Mark Milley said the United States will remain the world’s “premier fighting force,” after he was formally sworn in as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The bombing in a mosque in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, which resulted 62 killed, and 36 injured, has recieved international condemnation .

The Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the 18 October blast inside a mosque during Friday prayers, saying ‘those responsible for this attack must be held accountable’.

Guterres extended his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The US ambassador to Afghanistan, John Bass condemned the Nangarhar mosque attack and offered his condolences to the victims and their families.

“Killing worshippers assembled together in peace is unconscionable. All Afghans have the right to live and worship together in safety”, he said.

In the meantime, the NATO in Afghanistan also condemned the yesterday’s attack and emphasized that it stands with Afghanistan and the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to fight international terrorism.

The United Arab Emirates, UAE in a statement has expressed its utter condemnation on Nangarhar attack and rejected all forms of violence and terrorism that destabilize security and stability while undermining all religious and humanitarian principles.

“The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MoFAIC expresses its sincere condolences and sympathies to the families of victims affected by this heinous act of terrorism and wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack”, the statement said.

Condemning the incident, the Turkish government also said, “”We are deeply saddened to receive the news that a terror attack, which was carried out against a mosque in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, resulted in the loss of lives of many innocent civilians and left many others wounded.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan has strongly condemned the mosque attack in Nangarhar and shared its grief of the bereaved families and offered deepest sympathies and condolences over their loss in this mindless act of terrorism.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones in this difficult time,” Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement.

The Nangarhar incident comes a day after a United Nations report said that Afghan civilians are dying in record numbers in the country’s increasingly brutal war, noting that more civilians died in July than in any previous one-month period since the UN began keeping statistics.

Afghan National and Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) have killed 15 Taliban insurgents including group leaders in Ghazni province, security officials said.

Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement said that Commando Forces and Police Special Unit carried out an operation in Qala Barakat and Warsak villages of Khwaja Omari district and artillery attack on Tasnag village of Deh Yak district of Ghani province.

The statement noted that 15 Taliban insurgents were killed and 4 others injured in the raids.
Two foreign nationals and 3 group leaders identified as Ershad, Hamza and Sabeer Kochi are among killed, the statement said.

The statement added that 8 motorcycles were also destroyed in the operations.

An explosion rocked a mosque in eastern Nangarhar province as dozens of people gathered for Friday prayers, causing the roof to collapse and killing 62 worshippers and wounding 36 others, officials said.

“Both men and children are among those killed and wounded in the attack,” said Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar Province.

President Ghani condemned yesterday’s suicide bombing in Jalalabad and said “terrorists” cannot face the Afghan security forces on the battlefield, therefore, they target Afghan civilians.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and Islamic State are active in eastern Afghanistan, particularly Nangarhar province.

The violence comes a day after a United Nations report said that Afghan civilians are dying in record numbers in the country’s increasingly brutal war, noting that more civilians died in July than in any previous one-month period since the UN began keeping statistics.

“Civilian casualties at record-high levels clearly show the need for all parties concerned to pay much more attention to protecting the civilian population, including through a review of conduct during combat operations,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan.

The report said that pro-government forces caused 2,348 civilian casualties, including 1,149 killed and 1,199 wounded, a 26 per cent increase from the same period in 2018. The report said 2,563 civilians were killed and 5,676 were wounded in the first nine months of this year. Insurgents were responsible for 62 per cent.