10 members of Daesh and 5 members of Taliban captured by Afghan authorities. Photo: Zabihullah Ghazi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul on Wednesday morning, Al Jazeera reported — the latest in a string of attacks in Afghanistan and part of an apparent shift in tactics.
Why it matters: Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center told Axios that ISIS knows "it won’t be hit by American and Afghan airpower" in Kabul: "The sobering reality is that Kabul could become even more vulnerable to ISIS attacks as the group is uprooted from its bastion."
Recent attacks in Afghanistan
- On Wednesday, ISIS reportedly set off three blasts in the capital: One near a police station in Dasht-e-Barchi district, and two in central Shar-e-Naw district, per Al Jazeera.
- On Sunday, 14 people were killed and dozens wounded after a bombing during afternoon prayers in an eastern Afghanistan mosque, NPR reported. It wasn't claimed, but ISIS is "suspected," along with the Taliban.
- In late April, ISIS claimed two Kabul suicide bombings that left at least 25 dead, per the Guardian, including journalists and rescue workers.
- A week prior, dozens were killed at a voter registration center in Kabul after a suicide bombing claimed by ISIS.
Go deeper: ISIS turns toward "near enemy."