RASC News Agency: The Eurasia Times reports that currently, 23 major terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan under Taliban control. According to the report published on Thursday, May 16th, these groups are planning and executing operations against the interests of other countries.
The report identifies Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, ISIS-Khorasan, Al-Qaeda, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Tajikistan, and the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Saangar, among others, as having multiple branches under their command. The Eurasia Times states: “The core leadership of Al-Qaeda is present in Afghanistan and is mobilizing its operational capabilities.”
Citing a United Nations report, the newspaper notes that Al-Qaeda has established eight new training camps in the provinces of Ghazni, Laghman, Parwan, and Uruzgan. Furthermore, the Eurasia Times adds that ISIS-Khorasan currently has between 1,500 and 3,000 fighters in the provinces of Kabul, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Kunar.
The report reveals that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban control drug trafficking routes in Afghanistan, generating billions of dollars. Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, international organizations and countries, especially the United States, have expressed concerns about the presence and activities of terrorist groups in the country.
Most recently, in a joint statement after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Islamabad, the presidents of Iran and Pakistan declared that the presence of terrorist groups in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan poses a serious threat to regional and global security.
Previously, Russia’s former defense minister and the head of Russia’s security services also warned about the presence of terrorist groups in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
