Strike in Herat After Deadly Attack on Shiite Civilians in Injil District

Strike in Herat After Deadly Attack on Shiite Civilians in Injil District
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Shopkeepers and goldsmiths in Herat went on strike following a deadly armed attack in nearby Injil District that killed at least 11 civilians, many of them from the local Shia community, according to multiple local and international reports.

The attack took place on Friday at a recreational area near the Dah Miri village, where families had gathered for leisure. According to Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on civilians, killing at least seven people initially, with the death toll later rising to 11 after several wounded victims died in hospital.

Local reporting, including Afghan media outlets, indicated that the victims were predominantly Shiite civilians, and that attackers reportedly separated people before opening fire. Some accounts also suggest that women and children were among those killed or injured, though official authorities have not fully confirmed sectarian targeting.

The incident has triggered strong public outrage in Herat, with traders in the city launching a strike to protest what they described as the massacre of civilians and the continued insecurity in the province.

While no group has claimed responsibility for this specific attack, it fits a broader pattern of violence targeting Shiite communities in Afghanistan in recent years. The Islamic State–Khorasan Province (IS-K) has repeatedly carried out attacks against Shiite mosques and civilian gatherings in Herat and other regions, including mass shootings and bombings in 2022 and 2024.