Afghan president vows to take revenge after Islamic State attack on wedding
Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, on Monday said that his country “will take revenge for every civilian drop of blood” after an attack by a local ISIS group claimed more than 60 lives.
“Our struggle will continue against [ISIS], we will take revenge and will root them out,” Ghani said, according to The Associated Press.
Ghani added that the Taliban is also to blame for the rash of bombings and violence, alleging that the group has “created the platform for terrorists.”{mosads}
Ghani also pointed to safe havens for militants across Afghanistan’s border in Pakistan as part of the problem leading to the recent series of violence, the AP noted.
His comments come after an attack at a wedding over the weekend in Kabul killed dozens and injured hundreds more.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the bombing “an attack against humanity.”
Meanwhile, a series of explosions injured more than 60 people in the Afghan city of Jalalabad on Monday, as violence continues across the country.
The bombings come as the U.S. is in negotiations with the Taliban to strike a peace deal. A Taliban statement issued to mark the nation’s Independence Day said the U.S. should “leave Afghanistan to the Afghans.”
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy in talks with the Taliban, on Sunday said the peace negotiations could pick up to help Afghanistan defeat the ISIS affiliate.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.