Taliban Hinders ISIS-K Attack Capabilities In Afghanistan, Reports UN

Patrushev highlighted that data show no decline in the smuggling of drugs from Afghanistan into Central Asia.

The Secretary of the Russian Security Council issued this caution during a session in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, which focused on the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the issue of narcotics trafficking into Central Asia.

According to a report by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti on Friday, Patrushev has been quoted as saying, "Shortly, we should anticipate the illicit distribution of opium drugs by criminal organisations from the reserves accumulated in previous years."

He stressed on the critical need for detecting these consignments and pinpointing their potential storage locations.

Just a week prior, Tajikistan's Drug Control Agency declared, contrary to the Taliban's prohibition on drug production declarations, that Tajikistan has not observed any reduction in drug trafficking from Afghanistan.

The agency has reported that narcotics production is being carried out in concealed labs within Afghanistan.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime previously indicated in a report that opium cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan had seen a reduction of 95%. However, the manufacture of synthetic narcotics, particularly methamphetamine, has seen an upsurge in Afghanistan under the Taliban's governance.

Haqqani emphasised, "Enemies of this group will be targeted no matter where they are found."

He urged countries, without directly mentioning Uzbekistan, to return any [military] assets of Afghanistan to the Taliban's control.

During an event marking the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, Haqqani made it clear, "Anyone who confronts us, whether through intellectual, media, military, political, or financial means, will face our [response]."

While not singling out any nation, it noted that Tajikistan has provided a platform for the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud, and has recently hosted gatherings of the group's critics.

The Minister also cautioned against efforts to "instigate war" in Afghanistan by training the group's foes, underscoring that such actions will remain unforgotten.

Highlighting airspace violations, he stated that nations should prevent drones from using their airspace for strikes against Afghanistan, asserting, "Afghans will eternally remember their hostility."

The United States operates air bases in the region, such as in Qatar, where drones are launched for missions in Afghanistan for surveillance and attack terrorist factions like Al-Qaeda.

One such strike resulted in the death of Al-Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Kabul.

This incident isn't the first instance of a Taliban official issuing a warning to the group's foreign detractors. Previously, Saeed Khosty, a former spokesperson for the Taliban’s interior ministry, had also threatened Taliban opponents residing abroad, revealing that the Taliban is prepared with hundreds of volunteers to target their expatriate adversaries.

Afghanistan International had access to an early draft of this joint statement, which outlined the groups' collective dissent against the Taliban's invitation to the Doha gathering.

Released on Thursday, the document critiques the current situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule, spotlighting issues such as "the denial of fundamental rights, war crimes, abductions, torture, killing of women and former government associates, imposition of gender apartheid, acts of genocide, forced migrations, and the appropriation of properties of native populations across different regions of Afghanistan, alongside the cultural antagonism" and the Taliban's backing of terrorist organisations.

The political entities assert that extending invitations to the Taliban for international forums would only embolden their violent conduct.

They have urged the United Nations to ensure the inclusion of all significant Afghan political sides in the Doha meeting, aiming to pave the way for "establishing a government that reflects the people's will”, through a comprehensive national process.

The statement highlights the critical nature of continuing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, distinguishing between “humanitarian assistance for the needy and economic interactions with the Taliban group”.

Furthermore, the statement calls for a halt to any political or diplomatic engagements with the Taliban without the representation of the Afghan populace, echoing the demands of political groups and the general public for consideration at the Doha meeting.

The anti-Taliban factions and protesting women in the statement convey that "collaborating with the Taliban would not serve the Afghan people's interests and would instead stir the group further away from humanitarian principles."

These groups have also announced their readiness to collaborate with the UN's special envoy to Afghanistan, with an anticipation for a decision regarding this envoy's appointment at the Doha meeting.

Signatories of this statement include the Afghanistan Freedom Front, National Resistance Front, women's protest movements, Islamic Unity Party, National Resistance Council for Salvation of Afghanistan, Islamic Party, Jamiat-e-Islami, National Islamic Movement Party, Dawat-e-Isalmi, and the Islamic Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan, among others.

The Justice and Freedom Party, the Greater Eastern Council, the Greater Kandahar Council, the Greater Northern Council, the Process for Protecting the Values of Jihad and Resistance of the People of Afghanistan, and the People's Solidarity Party of Afghanistan have also endorsed this statement.

Scheduled for February 18, and 19, the Doha meeting on Afghanistan, under the auspices of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, will witness participation from special representatives of over 20 countries.

Stéphane Dujarric, the Secretary-General's spokesperson, affirmed the UN's objective to foster a unified strategy towards engaging with the Taliban at the Doha meeting.

This council said that the Taliban forcibly took away people's sources of income and forced the residents to migrate.

The council, which is a newly established orgnisation consisting of activists from Panjshir province, published an investigative report on Wednesday stating that these private and public places have been usurped by high-ranking Taliban officials.

As per the report, a significant number of residential houses equipped with living amenities and vehicles have been taken over by high-ranking Taliban officials, who now reside in them alongside their families. Additionally, there are reports indicating that some of these houses have been transformed into military bases by Taliban authorities.

It added that there are more than 21,000 members of the Taliban in Panjshir, who are "harassing" the residents of this province.

According to the council, the Taliban has taken control of mosques, schools, and drinking water sources, along with residential properties. Moreover, the group has established security bases throughout various areas in the province and constructed public roads using fertile lands owned by the local population.

Two significant explosions were reported around 1:30am on Wednesday in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Fars provinces.

The blasts occurred at Halvaei Pass in Borujen, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, and Tang-e Ghaderabad in Khorrambid, located in Safashahr, Fars province.

No other details about the Salafi group's identity have been disclosed by Iran International.

Media reports and official statements in Iran highlight that the explosions led to the disruption of gas supply to dozens of villages, with gas distribution to state offices and industries being limited in both provinces.

Information obtained by Iran International suggests that the gas transmission line explosions were a result of deliberate sabotage.

Following the incidents, a notice from the Isfahan Gas Company informed Isfahan residents of an imminent nationwide gas outage, with an unspecified restoration time. The notice also recommended that people should stock up on food, water, and heating supplies.

Subsequently, a clarification message discredited the initial notice, reassuring residents that the gas supply and distribution faced no specific issues.

The CEO of the Isfahan Gas Company later declared the circulated outage notice to be a forgery during an interview.

Sa’id Agheli, director of Iran's Gas Network Operation Centre, characterised the explosions as "terrorist sabotage acts”.

As reported by Fars News Agency, the targeted pipeline is a critical conduit for natural gas from the Persian Gulf refineries to major cities like Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad.

The aftermath of the explosions included prolonged road closures near the sites and caused residents of adjacent villages to spend hours outdoors in fear.

The blasts were so powerful that the sound and the flames could be observed up to a 60-kilometre radius, leaving dozens of villages without gas supply.