Afghanistan (MNN) — Explosions and gunfire erupted at a military hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. Initial reports indicate at least 15 killed, but those numbers will likely rise.
Nehemiah with FMI spoke to partners in the city. “They have seen many dead bodies. We have information from a nurse who was able to escape from there. She witnessed many dead bodies lying on the floor after this attack. There were active shooters there who were killing whoever was coming their way.”A doctor also reported gunmen going from room to room.
ISIS-K
No one initially claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban named rival group ISIS-K as the culprit. ISIS-K has already committed several attacks throughout Afghanistan since the Taliban took power, including a bombing at the Kabul airport that killed over 150.
It’s also not the first time ISIS-K has targeted this particular hospital. A 2017 attack, carried out by insurgents disguised as doctors left 30 dead and 50 wounded.
Nehemiah says ISIS-K ideology has become very prevalent, even among Taliban fighters. “It’s very difficult to fight against ISIS because they are coming from within the Taliban itself. And they know all the tactics that the Taliban has. They have all the training and all the information. They have been taught by the Taliban, and they’re fighting against them now.”
ISIS-K sees the Taliban as not dedicated enough to their violent agenda. The Taliban’s grip on Afghanistan may weaken further as more fighters desert.
How to pray
Ask God to protect Christians trapped in the country. Nehemiah says ISIS has no mercy on Christians and no interest in looking good for international audiences. “It is this is not going to stop in the coming days, weeks, and months. It will be a very, very difficult situation, not only in Afghanistan, but it’s coming to Pakistan as well.”
The header photo shows the hospital. (Photo courtesy of Masoud Akbari, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
