WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES – The US Central Command (CENTCOM) Chief, Michael Erik Kurilla, criticizes the Taliban’s harboring of extremist groups in Afghanistan, warning that the presence of these groups in the country could destabilize Central and South Asian countries.
As reported by Pakistani media outlet The Express Tribune, the senior US general, in the latest assessment shared with the US Senate Arms Services Committee, noted that extremist groups “exploit Afghanistan’s poor economic conditions and lax governance to recruit, train, and sustain an expanding cadre of fighters.”
He also said that despite the regime in Afghanistan targeting some ISIS-K leaders last year, it has not shown the capability or intention to sustain adequate counterterrorism pressure.
“In fact, this lack of sustained pressure allowed ISIS-K to regenerate and harden their networks, creating multiple redundant nodes that direct, enable, and inspire attacks,” he said.
Despite the Taliban’s rejection of the presence of international terrorist groups in Afghanistan, regional countries and the UN officials have repeatedly raised concerns about the existence of such groups, including ISIS-K, Al-Qaeda, Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Jamaat Ansarullah, in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The regime in Kabul has repeatedly bragged about its campaign against the ISIS-K, claiming that it has nearly eradicated the group in Afghanistan.
The international community and regional countries, however, are concerned that Afghanistan could once again become a breeding ground for international terrorism due to the Taliban’s extensive connections with regional and global terrorist networks.
In a report last month, the member states of the UN Security Council highlighted that terrorist groups in Afghanistan enjoy greater freedom than ever before in recent history. The report also claimed that there are no recent indications that the Kabul regime has taken measures to restrict the activities of these terrorist groups within the country.
Addressing the UN Security Council last week, Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, also expressed concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. She emphasized that it’s not only ISIS-K that poses a threat but also other groups such as TTP, which threaten Afghanistan’s neighbors.
The senior US general also criticized the Taliban’s approach towards the Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) saying that the regime has shown little interest in addressing the militant group, despite its significant threat to Pakistan.
“The Taliban has shown little interest in applying counter-terrorism pressure against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), presenting a significant threat to stability in Pakistan’s border regions.”
“We do not expect that dynamic to change,” General Kurilla added.
Pakistan has been repeatedly demanding decisive action against the TTP from the Taliban. However, the ruling regime in Afghanistan is reluctant to pay heed to Pakistan’s calls, saying they are not responsible for the security of its neighbours.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, said last week that they want good relations with the newly elected government of Pakistan. He urged the Pakistani authorities to show flexibility towards the deportation of Afghan refugees.
“First, the Islamic Emirate has always sought good relations with all its neighbors, including Pakistan, where a new government has emerged. Afghanistan also needs good relations with Pakistan. We want Pakistan to make good progress in various sectors with Afghanistan and ask the future government to solve all its problems,” he said.
