Nigerian troops killed six people and a baby boy and injured several others on 8th August 2022 as thousands of people had gathered to peacefully mark the annual procession of Ashura. 

Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, spokesperson of Islamic movement in Nigeria further confirmed that the minority Shiite sect was targeted at the Zaria central market.

He even stated that around 50 people sustained various injuries and were in medical care in the hospital. An eyewitness stated that the procession was already completed when the police began firing teargas in an attempt to disperse a crowd that was leaving. This quickly escalated to the soldiers attacking the mourners with live bullets killing some and injuring several in the process. 

Human rights activist, Ali Musa, also shared the information on his Twitter handle. 

“Report of @elrufai genocidal security forces attacked #Ashura2022 Mourners after the peaceful annual Ashura Procession in Zaria, Kaduna State,” he tweeted. “@elrufai who buried 100s of Shias in secret mass graves is continuing his atrocities. @IntlCrimCourt @hrw @ihrc @amnesty @AP

BreakNews: Report of @elrufai genocidal security forces attacked #Ashura2022 Mourners after peaceful annual Ashura Procession in Zaria, Kaduna State.@elrufai who buried 100s of Shias in secret mass graves is continuing his atrocities.@IntlCrimCourt @hrw @ihrc @amnesty @AP pic.twitter.com/AkITmFGeJg

— Ali Musa (@Ali2musa) August 8, 2022

Another Twitter user, Engr. A.M. Ikira confirmed the incident, writing, “Shias again, I narrowly escaped their clash today at Zaria.” 

Shiites again, I narrowly escaped their clash today at Zaria.

— Engr. A.M. Ikira (@MIAbubakar) August 8, 2022

The leader of the movement in Zaria, Mallam Abdulhamid Bello identified the victims as Jafar Magaji Jushi, Kazeem Lawal Magume, Ali Lawal Samaru, Muhsin Badamasi Yakub Zakzaky, Umar Inuwa Anguwar Fatika and another member who he could not identify. The baby boy was killed instantly 

This comes shortly after the attack on the Shiite community in Kabul who is reeling from bomb blasts that rocked the city on Friday August 5th 2022. This was the third attack since Wednesday August 3rd. According to one source, the bombs were planted in a vase and another source stated that it was embedded within a vegetable cart. 

Iran heavily condemned the attacks and called on the Taliban government to provide maximum security measures for the Shiite. Eight people were killed and at least 18 others injured at a residential area in Kabul.  Spokesperson Khalid Zadran said that the explosion occurred in a crowded area. Women and children were also among the killed. According to a Taliban security official who refused to be named said that the death toll could rise as people were terribly injured. 

The Daesh terrorist group later claimed responsibility of the attack on their social media accounts. The Shiite have been heavily targeted and massacred since the Daesh came to be in 2014. 

Every year, during the first month of the Islamic Calendar, the Muslim Shiite communities across the world commemorate the killings of the grandson of the Holy Prophet, Husayn ibn Ali, his companions, women and children.

In recent years, several attacks on the Shiite have been escalating during this mourning period further suggesting the ulterior motives of the terrorist groups and state actors.