More than 23,000 fighters from international terrorist groups are active in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, posing a serious threat to regional and global security, Russia’s Security Council secretary said Monday.
In an article for Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Sergei Shoigu wrote that Russian estimates indicate about 20 international militant groups are present in Afghanistan with a combined strength exceeding 23,000. He said the greatest concern is the Khorasan branch of ISIS, which Moscow believes operates training camps and support bases in the east, north and north-east of the country.
Shoigu said the Taliban government “is taking measures to fight terrorism to the extent it can” and regularly kills ISIS fighters, but argued that Western sanctions have weakened its ability to counter the threat. He also claimed fighters from other regions were being moved into Afghanistan, alleging that Western intelligence services were attempting to destabilise the area by supporting extremist groups hostile to the Taliban.
The Taliban have issued conflicting statements on ISIS’s presence, at times insisting the group has been “suppressed” while also reporting operations against its cells. The UN Security Council has repeatedly confirmed the continued activity of ISIS-K and other groups in Afghanistan, though the Taliban reject those findings.
Shoigu further warned that Western powers, having lost influence in Afghanistan, are planning to restore NATO’s military infrastructure in the region. He noted that envoys from the United States, the UK and Germany have recently travelled frequently to Kabul despite publicly ruling out recognition of Taliban rule.
A recent UN report said the Taliban provide a permissive environment for foreign terrorist groups, with several al-Qaeda-linked training camps operating across Afghanistan, including three newly established sites where al-Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters are reportedly being trained.
