KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has rejected the UN’s recent report, which raised concerns about the growing presence and increasing threat of the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) in Afghanistan, calling it “unfounded” and “propaganda.”
In a statement on Friday, August 9, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that the regime’s security forces have conducted a serious fight against IS-KP in Afghanistan and have significantly weakened them.
“Concerns raised by Western countries and institutions regarding the extensive presence and escalating threat of ISIS in Afghanistan are unfounded and driven by propaganda,” he said.
“Furthermore, the entire territory of Afghanistan remains firmly under the control of the Islamic Emirate [Taliban], leaving no room for independent or external groups to operate,” he added.
In his report to the UN Security Council, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov highlighted an increase in the financial and logistical capabilities of IS-KP in Afghanistan over the past six months.
During his briefing to the council on Thursday, August 8, the senior UN official described IS-KP as a significant threat with the capacity to launch terrorist attacks beyond Afghanistan.
He urged all UN member states to take unified action to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a breeding ground for terrorist activities with global repercussions. “We must unite to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a hotbed of terrorism,” he said.
During the meeting, the U.S. representative to the UN expressed concern about IS-KP’s capability to carry out attacks beyond Afghanistan, urging the Taliban to uphold their counter-terrorism commitments.
The Taliban spokesman, however, dismissed concerns about the presence and activities of ISIS and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, saying they are part of a campaign against the regime intended to manipulate and distort public perception.
He once again claimed that the regime does not allow anyone to use Afghanistan soil to threaten the security of other countries or pose any threat from within Afghanistan.
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has heightened security concerns among neighboring countries and the global community due to the potential resurgence of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS-K, which pose significant threats to global stability.
While the Taliban claims to have suppressed IS-KP and assured the regional and international community that Afghanistan no longer poses a threat, a recent report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reveals that the regime is unable to effectively counter these groups or prevent them from launching attacks beyond Afghanistan’s borders.
The Washington-based think tank noted in the report that IS-KP has successfully infiltrated the Taliban’s security forces, undermining the regime’s ability to effectively counter the terrorist group.
