Al-Qaeda 's North African branch , al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb ( AQIM ) , threatened Warning retribution against the Shia Muslim group , saying Telling in a statement Statement that it knew Know `` with certainty '' that Hezbollah was responsible for the attack .

According to one eyewitness , the killers Killing had written Shia slogans on their foreheads ( the Alawi faith is a Shia sect ) .

According to one eyewitness , the killers Killing had written Shia slogans on their foreheads ( the Alawi faith is a Shia sect ) .

The attack Attack also appeared to target Aiming senior police officer Gulfat Hussein , a Shia Muslim .

Despite this Israeli success in eradicating PLO bases and its partial withdrawal in 1985 , the Israeli invasion Attack increased Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale the severity of conflict Hostile_encounter with local Lebanese militias and resulted in Causation the consolidation of several local Shia Muslim movements in Lebanon , including Hezbollah and Amal , from a previously unorganized Destroying guerrilla movement in the south .

The political background is the race Competition between Prime Minister Nouri Maliki , a Shia Islamist , and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi , a secular Shia supported Supporting by Iraq 's Sunnis .

The political background is the race Competition between Prime Minister Nouri Maliki , a Shia Islamist , and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi , a secular Shia supported Supporting by Iraq 's Sunnis .

The Ottomans wintered there until 1535 , overseeing Scrutiny the reconstruction Building of Sunni and Shia religious shrines and agricultural irrigation projects .

Before the war Military_operation , Lebanon was multisectarian , with Sunni Muslims and Christians being the majorities in the coastal cities , Shia Muslims being mainly based in the south and the Beqaa Valley to the east , and with the mountain populations being mostly Druze and Christian .

The bombing Attack was believed to be motivated Causation by sectarianism , as the majority of the area 's residents are Shia Muslims .

A suicide bombing Attack took place Hold on 26 June 2015 at a Shia mosque in Kuwait .

In addition to battling Hostile_encounter al Qaeda across several provinces , Yemen is also contending Statement with Shia insurgency in the north and militant separatists in the south .

Most of the victims Death were members Becoming_a_member of the predominantly Shia Twelver ethnic Hazara community , and authorities expected Statement the death Death toll to rise due Causation to the large number of serious injuries Bodily_harm .

The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group Cause_to_amalgamate claimed Statement responsibility for the blast , the second major attack Attack against the Shia Hazaras in a month .

As of 19 February , one of the masterminds of the attack Attack has been arrested Arrest and taken Conquering into custody along with 170 suspects Committing_crime , and four high-profile militants Terrorism accused Judgment_communication of killing Killing Shia civilians were killed Killing during an operation by security forces Causation .

Haider , a Shia Muslim , was killed Killing as he attended Participation a funeral Social_event at a mosque .

The Imam escaped Escaping to the Saudi Arabian border where he rallied popular support Supporting from northern Shia tribes to retake power , escalating Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale shortly to a full-scale civil war Hostile_encounter .

Kreyenbroek claims Statement many Kurds in Iran have shown Presence no interest in Kurdish nationalism , especially Shia Kurds , who even vigorously reject the idea of autonomy , preferring direct rule from Tehran .