Gunman attacks mosque in Afghanistan, killing six

A gunman stormed a mosque in western Afghanistan’s Guzara district, killing six civilians and injuring one, according to government spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani. The attack took place around 9 p.m. local time on Monday. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the mosque is reported to belong to Afghanistan’s minority Shiite community.

The Taliban government has pledged to protect religious and ethnic minorities, but rights monitors say they’ve done little to fulfill that promise. The attack is reminiscent of previous assaults by the regional chapter of Islamic State (IS), which frequently targets Shiite communities. Although the Taliban claim to have ousted IS from Afghanistan, the UN Security Council report suggests IS still poses a significant threat in the region.