The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the Gurudwara attack in Kabul which killed 27 people. Now, India’s security establishment believes that the Haqqani-Lashe-e-Toiba backed by the state of Pakistan could be the mastermind of the terror attack.
The attack has drawn sharp criticism from the Indian authorities as well as the United States. The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs addressed the media and condemned the attack. He further said that by carrying out the attack in the time of medical crisis exposes the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators.
Backing their initial claim, the ISIS put out another statement saying that the killings are direct revenge of Indian action in Kashmir. The second statement further strengthens India’s claim of the involvement of the Pakistan establishment.
More evidence of Pakistan’s involvement
A researcher in Kabul who works on the fundamentalist groups like ISIS and Khorasan, Hussain Ehsani believes that the attack is an act to avenge the recent Delhi riots. He further says that Afghanistan is the most suitable place for carrying out such attacks because of the strong collaboration between Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Haqqani group.
The Taliban published a post on their official website declaring that they have wiped out the presence of ISIS and Khorasan from Afghanistan soil. Sirajjudin Haqqani, the chief of the Haqqani group, is also the deputy leader of the Taliban. While the Taliban claims of ISIS’s absence, Ehsani questions the possibility of ISIS carrying out such operations. Also, it is notable that both the Haqqani group and the Taliban is supported by Pakistan’s ISI.
Ehsani speculates that even though ISIS has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks in Kabul, they lack the strategical capability to carry out complex attacks. According to him, realizing the brand of ISIS, the Haqqani group has put itself behind the scenes.
The attack is the direct consequence of the unstable peace process between the United States and the Taliban while the political turmoil continues to worsen in Afghanistan. The United States has shown little interest post the peace deal. Indian authorities believe certainly that the attack is directly sponsored by Pakistan to jeopardize Indian interest in Afghanistan.
