Rights Watchdog Says Taliban Must Protect Religious Minorities Targeted by Terrorists

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) must protect Hazaras and other religious minorities that are being attacked by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Islamic State’s* affiliate in Afghanistan, an international human rights organization said on Tuesday.

"Since the Taliban takeover, ISIS-linked fighters have committed numerous brutal attacks against members of the Hazara community as they go to school, to work, or to pray, without a serious response from the Taliban authorities. The Taliban have an obligation to protect at-risk communities and assist the victims of attacks and their families," Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

ISKP has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Hazaras and has been linked to at least 3 more, killing and injuring at least 700 people. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), recent attacks by ISKP in Kabul killed and injured more than 120 people, the statement said.

The Hazaras are a predominantly Shiite ethnic group that have faced discrimination and abuse from successive Afghan governments for more than a century, the statement said, adding that with the Taliban back in power, the Hazaras are worried about their safety and whether the new authorities will be able to provide security to them.

The failure of the Taliban to provide security, medical and other assistance to survivors and affected families, as well as Taliban policies that violate human rights exacerbate the harm caused by ISKP attacks.

* a terrorist group banned in Russia