Terrorists' Use of Afghan Soil Is Not Just Pakistan's Concern, Says Islamabad

The Pakistani official also claimed that an increasing number of Afghan citizens are joining the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

On Thursday, during a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry emphasised that the fight against terrorism will continue until the last extremist has been eradicated.

He stated that in the past eight months, the military has conducted 32,173 intelligence-based operations against "terrorists," adding that only in the past month, 4,000 operations were organised against militants.

The military official reported that the army has been conducting 130 daily operations against terrorists over these eight months, resulting in the deaths of 193 soldiers.

Referencing the increased logistical and training support for terrorist groups in Afghanistan following the Taliban's rise to power, Chaudhry said that Taliban officials should not prioritise "terrorists" over the Pakistani government. He also warned that terrorist groups have gained access to weapons left behind by the US in Afghanistan.

He emphasised that Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban are engaged in dialogue and said that attempts to create division between the brotherly nations of Pakistan and Afghanistan will not succeed. He also highlighted Pakistan's long standing support for Afghanistan during challenging times.

In recent months, the Pakistan army has ramped up its operations against militants in border regions with Afghanistan. Pakistani officials claim that many deadly attacks in the country are planned by the TTP from Afghan soil.

Last week, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged the Afghan Taliban to hand over TTP members to the Pakistani government. However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, in an interview with a Pakistani media outlet, stressed that the TTP is an internal matter for Pakistan and is unrelated to the Afghan Taliban.

At a counterterrorism meeting in Tashkent, Azizov emphasised that Afghanistan is on the frontlines in the fight against ISIS and should not be left isolated.

According to Uzbek media, Azizov, speaking at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (CSO) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meeting in Tashkent, said that mutual trust, regular information exchange, and coordinated actions in the fight against international terrorism are crucial for ensuring stability and security.

The SCO and CIS conference on combating terrorism and extremism was held over two days on September 4 and 5 in Tashkent.

Yevgeniy Sysoev, head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre, warned at the meeting about the rising threat of ISIS-Khorasan, stating that its threat has peaked, with the group's goal being to incite hostility between ethnic groups and radicalise societies.

Since the Taliban's takeover of power, many regional countries have expressed concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

According to local sources, three civilians, including a child, were also injured and have been transported to the central hospital in Taloqan.

The NRF’s statement detailed that the attack occurred at 4pm on Wednesday, targeting Taliban fighters near Old Taloqan, in the Kabul Gate area.

Local sources informed Afghanistan International that the injuries resulted from a bicycle bomb explosion in the same area.

Witnesses confirmed that all those injured were civilians, with one being a child.
Taliban officials have not yet commented on the incident.

Following the explosion, local residents reported that Taliban forces cordoned off the area and blocked all access routes.

According to reports, ISIS has ordered its fighters in Afghanistan to carry out attacks in other countries.

This warning was issued in the UN Secretary-General's report to the Security Council regarding ISIS’ threat to international security.

In Antonio Guterres’ report, Afghanistan is described as a dangerous base for ISIS-K to launch attacks on Europe and regional countries.

The report indicates that, following terrorist attacks in Kerman, Iran, on January 3, and in Moscow on March 22, the threat posed by various groups based in Afghanistan has raised concerns among member states.

It further noted that member states have reported ISIS directing its operatives in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries to conduct attacks abroad, while also exploiting Afghan and Central Asian migrant communities for logistical, financial, and operational support.

Despite the dismantling of several ISIS-K cells in Europe, logistical and financial support remains available to operatives travelling from Afghanistan and Central Asia to Europe, according to the report.

Intelligence from member states, whose names were not disclosed in the Secretary-General’s report, indicates that ISIS-K, through its networks between Afghanistan and Turkiye, is capable of transferring its operatives from Central Asia and Afghanistan to Europe for operations.

The report also mentioned that ISIS-K is attempting to recruit Afghan migrants in Europe.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council's Sanctions Monitoring Team, in its 34th report on ISIS, al-Qaeda, and the Pakistani Taliban, issued a similar warning.

The Security Council's Monitoring Team report indicated that European countries now assess ISIS-K as the largest terrorist threat to Europe.

The committee’s report referred to several operations against ISIS in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkiye, highlighting the renewed ambitions, efforts, and potential capacity of the group to carry out large-scale attacks on European soil.

The monitoring team predicted that in the coming year, Europe will face more complex plots from ISIS, which is why both European and non-European countries are deeply concerned about the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan.

The report also mentioned that ISIS is focusing on expanding its presence in Africa. The group has demonstrated its presence through bloody attacks on civilians in Africa.

This is not the first time the UN and its members have warned about the threat of ISIS and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban has described these warnings as an exaggeration of the ISIS threat.

Nevertheless, the Security Council’s Monitoring Team, in its new report, estimated that the number of ISIS fighters ranges from 4,000 to 6,000.

The report states that Sanaullah Ghafari remains the leader of the ISIS-K branch in Afghanistan, and Abu Ahmad al-Madani (an Iraqi national) commands the group's external operations unit in Kunar, Nuristan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Previously, the Taliban claimed that the ISIS threat in Afghanistan had been significantly weakened. However, this week, ISIS attacked the Taliban’s Directorate of Monitoring and Enforcement of Taliban Decrees in Kabul.

Naseer Faiq, Afghanistan's representative to the UN, said this attack shows that the Taliban's claim of securing Afghanistan is questionable, as ordinary people continue to be killed by terrorist attacks.

The Security Council's committee said that ISIS-K is seeking to control Afghanistan as the country is a territory from which it can infiltrate neighbouring countries and expand terrorist threats to Central Asia, Russia, and Iran.

According to the committee, ISIS has softened its domestic operations in Afghanistan but strengthened its external operations.

The report states that the main routes for ISIS fighters entering Afghanistan are from Central Asia, Turkiye, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Currently, ISIS has sent part of its forces to Kunar and Nangarhar, and others to Badakhshan, Herat, and Nimroz.

Sources say that Haqqani and Yaqoob are dissatisfied with Akhundzada's interference in their duties.

Reliable sources in Kabul told the Pashto service of Afghanistan International that these two ministers had discussed their differences with Mullah Hibatullah, describing some of his actions as interference in their affairs. However, it has been reported that Hibatullah dismissed their concerns as unimportant.

It has been said that the Taliban leader told Haqqani and Yaqoob that they had not significantly participated in the Taliban's "jihad" against the former Afghan government.

According to the sources, following these criticisms, supporters and affiliates of Haqqani and Yaqoob have widely circulated their "jihadi" images and videos on social media.

A source from the Taliban's Interior Ministry told the Pashto service of Afghanistan International that in response to the criticisms, they posted videos and images of Haqqani on social media, showing him before carrying out an attack or meeting with a suicide bomber.

Recently, an old video of Sirajuddin Haqqani and his brother bidding farewell to a teenage suicide bomber has been circulated widely on Afghanistan's social media.

Many users claim that the Haqqani network, by training suicide attackers, is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in Afghanistan.

In the past, there have also been reports of internal disagreements between senior Taliban officials and Hibatullah. However, Haqqani, Yaqoob, and other senior officials of the group have emphasised on absolute obedience to the Taliban leader.