10 killed in Sufi shrine attack in Afghanistan, says interior ministry

At least 10 people were killed after a gunman opened fire on Sufis who were taking part in a weekly ritual at a shrine in a remote area of Afghanistan's Nahrin district.

"A man fired on Sufis taking part in a weekly ritual at a shrine in a remote area of Nahrin district, killing ten people," the interior ministry's Abdul Matin Qani told AFP News Agency.

Till now no one has taken the responsibility of the attack.

A local from Nahrin, who was familiar with the victims, informed AFP that devotees had assembled at the Sayed Pacha Agha shrine on Thursday evening.

During a Sufi chant, "a man shot at the dozen worshippers", the resident stated, requesting to remain unnamed.
The bodies were discovered when people arrived for their morning prayers, according to the resident.

In Afghanistan, where Taliban authorities enforce strict sharia law that differs from Sufism, attacks frequently occur against Sufis during their religious ceremonies, despite the country having an overwhelming Muslim population.
A devastating explosion at a Sufi mosque during Friday prayers in Kunduz province claimed 33 lives, including children, in April 2022.

The Taliban took over the country on August 15 2021 and vowed to restore security to the war-torn nation. Attacks have continued, many of them claimed by the local arm of the militant Islamic State (IS) group.

Earlier, in September, 14 people were killed and six others injured in an attack claimed by IS in central Afghanistan.