Brutal massacre on civilians in the northern province of Sar-e Pol, Shia-majority village of Mirza-Walang, killed 70 and wounded tens.
According to local activists, several mosques are also burned and a number of villagers taken hostage. Local officials say a combination of Taliban and ISIS terrorists were involved in the attack.
1800 Shia families are under siege in Mirza Walang since last year and authorities have failed to help the residents.
Attack to Shia populated areas of Afghanistan has increased. On August 1, 2017, two suicide bombers attacked a Shia mosque in the western Afghan city of Heart killing as many as 29 individuals and wounding up to 64.
In the month of July, 30 Shia were killed and 42 wounded in a suicide car-bomb in heavily populated Shia district of Kabul.
According to UN, more than 1,700 civilians have been killed in attacks in Afghanistan so far this year, many of which belong to the minority Shia community.
As SRW condemns all killing and acts of violence, this NGO emphasizes the need for minority rights advocacy as most human rights violations in the world are inflicted upon minority groups.
We also urge the Afghan government to take immediate action to protect Shia populated areas to prevent further attacks.
Our heart goes out to families and community members of all victims of terror, and we invite international committees to stand up for minority rights.