In response to growing concerns over potential ISIS attacks on Hibatullah Akhundzada during Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, the Taliban has begun constructing security brick walls around the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar. Footage received on Sunday (7 April) depicts Taliban military units actively positioning brick barriers to form a stringent security perimeter around the mosque.
This development follows reports from Afghanistan International, citing informed sources, about a security meeting convened by the Taliban in the province to address fears of an ISIS incursion during Eid celebrations. Taliban officials expressed apprehensions about potential ISIS assaults on the Eid congregational prayers, particularly targeting their supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
In light of these concerns, the Taliban has intensified security and intelligence operations for the Eid-u-Fitr prayers in Kandahar. Specific venues, including the Hazrat Mohammad Grand Mosque and the Eidgah Mosque, have been earmarked for Hibatullah Akhundzada to conduct prayers, with the final decision on the venue to be made by Akhundzada’s security detail.
Furthermore, the Taliban has instructed central prison authorities in Kandahar to enhance security measures during the Eid festivities, given the heightened threat landscape. These measures come in the wake of a devastating suicide bombing at a Kabul Bank branch in Kandahar, claimed by ISIS, which resulted in over 43 casualties and left 45 injured.