RASC News Agency: The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has raised serious concerns about the escalating threats posed by terrorist groups originating from Afghanistan. The 40th meeting of the CSTO’s Afghanistan Working Group, under the Council of Foreign Ministers, convened on Wednesday, December 11, in Moscow. According to a statement released by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the session was attended by representatives from the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and various other international organizations. This meeting followed a high-level CSTO summit held on November 29 in Astana, which brought together heads of state, foreign ministers, defense ministers, and national security advisors.
At the conclusion of the Astana summit, the CSTO reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a “peaceful, independent, and unified Afghanistan free from war, terrorism, and narcotics.” However, the organization has consistently expressed alarm over the last three years about the presence and activities of terrorist groups within Afghanistan, particularly ISIS, as well as the infiltration of extremists into the territories of CSTO member states. The Taliban, in response, have repeatedly denied the existence of terrorist groups within Afghanistan, asserting that ISIS lacks operational capacity in the country and poses no threat to neighboring nations. Despite these claims, ISIS continues to conduct and claim responsibility for deadly attacks across Afghanistan.
One of the latest incidents highlights the alarming security situation: ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed Khaleel-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees, on December 11. The assassination of one of the Taliban’s most experienced military figures within the Ministry of Refugees underscores Afghanistan’s precarious state as a hub of global terrorism. This incident serves as a stark reminder that no corner of the country remains secure from extremist violence.
