The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed its first “success” in Afghanistan by staging a suicide attack on Saturday that killed at least 35 people and wounded 125 others.
The motorcycle bombing at a bank branch was aimed at soldiers and civilians who were lined up to receive their monthly salaries.
Afghanistan is trying to keep the Taliban terror organization under control following the US Army invasion of the country after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The United States’ mission, later joined by NATO, was to destroy Al Qaeda and remove Taliban from power.
President Barack Obama declared “victory” over Al Qaeda with the assassination of its leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.
The victory was illusory. Despite all the headlines focusing on the Islamic State, Al Qaeda also has gained large swaths of territory in Syria and Yemen.
The Islamic State’s expansion into Afghanistan, following attacks in Libya and Egypt, follows a warning to the Obama administration last month by President Ashraf Ghani:
If we don’t stand on the same line united, these people are going to destroy us.
A White House statement said:
This visit…was an opportunity to review the remarkable strategic, political and economic achievements of this partnership and the successful completion of the security transition in Afghanistan.
He has said the same thing about Yemen and Iraq.
Who’s next?