Afghanistan’s Development Prevents Int’l Terrorism Growth, Says Kazakh President

Recently, Frank McKenzie, former CENTCOM commander stated that with the US forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, ISIS has strengthened in Afghanistan.

Mujahid told Radio and Television Afghanistan, under Taliban control, on Wednesday that ISIS is not a phenomenon that can cause trouble in Afghanistan. He labeled foreign concerns about the ISIS threat as an exaggeration.

Earlier, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, had stated that ISIS does not have a presence in Afghanistan.

Earlier, McKenzie warned of ISIS' strong desire to attack the United States and other foreign powers. He stated that the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan paved the way for the growth of ISIS' Khorasan branch in the country.

Mark Milley, former US Joint Chief of Staff, also recently warned of ISIS' intention to attack the United States, stating that the country remains ISIS' number one target.

While Taliban officials deny the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan, ISIS Khorasan recently claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kandahar. Over 40 people, mostly Taliban members, had been killed in this attack.

Bashir, a prominent Taliban commander in the eastern zone, during the inaugural ceremony of the investigation of the Taliban purification commission, criticised the commission for dismissing a significant number of Taliban members. He stated that this issue has caused dissatisfaction among the Taliban in the province.

This Taliban commander mentioned that in the current system, not only does the Taliban have rights, but also the families who have fallen victim to the ISIS and lost their family members, should be accommodated within the ranks of the Taliban.

Many Salafis were killed or detained during Bashir's tenure as head of intelligence in Nangarhar, allegedly on suspicion of affiliating with ISIS, and he was the main accused.

Following the Taliban's defence minister Yaqoob Mujahid's directive, the purification of the group’s ranks has begun with new conditions, and after Maidan Wardak province, now it is being implemented in Nangarhar.

This aerial surveillance led to the decision to move their leader to a safer location in the Panjwai district.

According to sources of Afghanistan International, the prolonged drone presence over Mullah Hibatullah's Kandahar office was interpreted by Mawlawi Abdul Ahad Taleb, the commander of the Taliban leader's special security forces, as a direct and immediate threat to Hibatullah Akhundzada's safety, prompting a swift relocation.

The Taliban subsequently transferred their leader to the "Tolakan military base," located in Kandahar's Panjwai district.

Drone patrols have not been uncommon in the region, with Kandahar residents previously noting similar occurrences. Additionally, in recent days, individuals from Badakhshan, Panjshir, Kunar, and Laghman provinces reported drone sightings to Afghanistan International, pointing to a broader pattern of aerial surveillance.

In reaction to these incidents, the Taliban's spokesperson has pointed fingers at the United States, accusing it of infringing upon Afghanistan's sovereignty by violating its airspace.

Zabihullah Mujahid, in statements to the local press, has made it clear that these aircraft are unmistakably American, accusing them of entering Afghan airspace from neighbouring countries. He called for all involved parties to acknowledge their roles in this breach and to cease their invasive actions immediately.

Following their departure from Afghanistan, US officials have affirmed their commitment to keeping a watchful eye on terrorist activities within the country.

The assertion of Afghanistan's airspace still being under "occupation" by the United States has been a point of contention, voiced by several members of the Taliban leadership, including the group’s Defence Minister and the army's chief of staff.

This source said that according to the financial affairs of Afghanistan's budget units and according to financial laws, the budget for the new year should have been approved three months ago.

However, as per the source, the budget has not yet been set.

The source, who preferred not to be named, added that the amount of the national budget and the share of ministries is still unclear.

The Taliban's Ministry of Finance recently sent a written document to the office of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, a copy of which has reached Afghanistan International.

In this document, it has been stated that the budget has not yet been approved, and this ministry wants to pay the employee’s salaries under a special allocation this month.

The doctors are also protesting against the lack of salary as well as employment of relatives of this Taliban official.

They allege that Mansoor, without the permission of the Ministry of Public Health, has arbitrarily dismissed specialised hospital staff and hired his unqualified relatives.

They also indicated that this Taliban official has delayed doctors' salaries for months, causing frustration among hospital staff.

A list of doctors who have resigned due to these actions by Mullah Mansoor has reached to Afghanistan International.

According to sources, the strike has led to serious issues for patients in the hospital.

Additionally, following the resignation of female doctors, male doctors have taken over duties in the maternity ward. According to sources, all doctors at the regional hospital of Paktia are considering resigning, but some of them have been prevented and threatened by Mullah Mansoor.

Afghanistan International has learned that Mullah Mansoor lacks medical education and is currently a twelfth-grade student at Paktia Night School.

Sources within the Taliban's public health office in Paktia have provided Afghanistan International with a list indicating that during Mansoor's tenure, no positions have been publicly announced, and Mansoor's relatives with high salaries have been appointed to vacant positions.

Additionally, Ali Gul, who serves as the head of Zazai Aryub Hospital in Paktia province, is also the brother of Mullah Mansoor. He has appointed his niece and nephew to medical positions under his control within the hospital.

According to information available with Afghanistan International, Mullah Mansoor’s brothers have been appointed as hospital vaccinators and COVID sample transporters, receiving high salaries.

Some medical institutions in Paktia, which financially support medical personnel under Taliban oversight, express frustration with Khair Mohammad Mansoor's appointments. They declined to be named in the report due to security concerns.

Public health officials have confirmed the doctors' strike to Afghanistan International and stated that a delegation from the Taliban's Ministry of Public Health has traveled to the province to negotiate with the doctors.

The regional hospital of Paktia is one of the main healthcare facilities in the southeastern region of Afghanistan, catering to patients from Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces. Established with modern equipment during the previous government's tenure, the hospital currently employs approximately 300 healthcare workers.