The Taliban has bolstered security measures along the Pak-Afghan border, particularly at the Torkham crossing, amid growing concerns that ISIS operatives are attempting to infiltrate Afghanistan disguised as returning migrants, Taliban sources told Afghanistan International.
In response to recent intelligence reports, the Taliban has deployed a specialised security unit to Torkham, led by Sultan Mofaker, Director of Internal Security at the Ministry of Interior. According to sources, ISIS members are allegedly hiding among Afghan families deported from Pakistan, prompting a strict overhaul of screening procedures.
A joint task force, comprising personnel from the Taliban’s intelligence agency and the Ministry of Interior, has been stationed at Torkham since the onset of the latest wave of deportations. All returnees are now subject to biometric registration, and only those who pass identity verification are allowed to proceed further into Afghanistan.
“We are familiar with Pakistan’s tactics,” a Taliban security official stated. “We have imposed strict surveillance not only at Torkham but across all open routes along the Durand Line.”
Authorities have confirmed that the intensified security measures extend beyond Torkham to other key border crossings, including Spin Boldak, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi in Khost province, and Angoor Ada in Paktika. Intelligence assessments suggest that ISIS operatives may also be attempting to exploit these alternative routes.
Adding to the alarm, former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad recently claimed that Pakistan could be using the deportation of Afghan migrants as a pretext to send armed ISIS fighters into Afghanistan. His remarks, based on information from informed sources, have heightened concerns about the broader security implications of mass deportations.
To manage the increasing number of returnees, the Taliban has established a processing facility named Camp Omari at the Torkham crossing. New arrivals are temporarily housed in the camp, where they undergo biometric screening and comprehensive background checks. Once identities are verified, individuals are assigned to a specific province or district and referred to the corresponding local intelligence office.
“After referral, our security and intelligence departments in the cities and districts are instructed to monitor them closely,” one official said.
Some returnees have complained of extended stays in the camp due to delays in the verification process.
Since the start of the second phase of deportations from Pakistan, tens of thousands of Afghan nationals have crossed back into Afghanistan via Torkham. On 27 October 2023, similar screening measures were reported, with particular scrutiny directed at former members of Afghanistan’s military under the previous government.
At the time, eyewitnesses noted heightened inspections of migrants who had fled to Pakistan following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
The Taliban continues to accuse Pakistan of harbouring and training ISIS militants, alleging that fighters are being dispatched across the border to launch attacks within Afghanistan.
