RASC News Agency: The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has denounced the Taliban’s assertions regarding their combat against ISIS and their purported severance of ties with the Al-Qaeda network as “baseless” and “hollow.”
According to a report issued by the institute on Thursday, Mar 28th, recent assaults in Kandahar and the outskirts of Kabul illustrate the strength and capability of ISIS, undermining the Taliban’s assertion of eliminating the Khorasan branch of this group. The institute asserted that ISIS has not only attained operational proficiency in Afghanistan but also possesses the potential to execute attacks on international targets.
The report notes that the military withdrawal of the United States and its allies from Afghanistan has raised significant queries concerning the global fight against terrorism and its containment. Highlighting a substantial shift in the regional dynamics in favor of “violent extremist groups,” the Australian Strategic Policy Institute emphasized that subsequent to the Taliban’s assumption of power, the regional outlook has significantly favored such factions.
As per the report, despite the intense rivalry with the Taliban, ISIS maintains its potency. Additionally, the Taliban, as per the report, continue to uphold their enduring alliance with Al-Qaeda and have established active networks in numerous provinces across the country. The Taliban persistently assert that Al-Qaeda lacks a presence in Afghanistan, claiming to have suppressed ISIS and prevented it from posing a threat to any other nation from Afghanistan territory.
Nevertheless, recent ISIS assaults in the environs of Kabul and Kandahar have escalated apprehensions in Afghanistan and neighboring nations.
