The Taliban have dismissed concerns raised by the UN Security Council over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, insisting no such organisations are operating in the country.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, said on Thursday that claims about extremist groups in Afghanistan were unfounded. He denied the existence of Islamic State in the country, saying the group had been “suppressed and destroyed.”
Earlier this month, the Taliban announced it had foiled planned Islamic State attacks in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. Mujahid reiterated that Afghan soil is not being used against any country and, in an indirect reference to Pakistan, urged states not to link their domestic problems to Afghanistan.
His remarks followed warnings by Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who told the Security Council that Afghanistan-based militant groups, particularly Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with an estimated 6,000 fighters, pose the most immediate threat to Pakistan’s security and regional stability.
At the same meeting, UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov described Islamic State as one of the most dangerous threats to the region, citing its use of cryptocurrencies and encrypted networks. Natalia Gherman, head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, added that ISIS-Khorasan remains active in Afghanistan, while seeking recruits in Central Asia and Europe and raising funds through online propaganda.
The concerns are shared by regional powers. During a recent visit to Kabul, China’s foreign minister pressed Taliban officials to address Beijing’s security worries. Russia and Central Asian states have also voiced alarm over the reported presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
