RASC News Agency: Local sources in Kandahar report that the Taliban have facilitated the relocation and settlement of members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) across various districts of the province, intensifying concerns over the growing presence of foreign militants in southern Afghanistan. According to these sources, the Taliban have strategically housed TTP families in multiple areas of Shah Wali Kot district, including Karizgi, Kateh Sang, Tanawcha, Qasim Kili, and Surkh Bid. A source disclosed that these areas are now strictly off-limits to ordinary citizens, yet heavy construction vehicles frequently enter and exit, signaling extensive development efforts.
This follows reports from the previous day that the Taliban had resettled over a hundred TTP families and North Waziristani refugees in the provinces of Takhar, Ghazni, and Faryab. Another source indicated that non-local individuals, accompanied by their families, have also established residence in various parts of Kandahar. “These individuals arrived some time ago, yet they have made no effort to integrate with the local population. Their appearance, attire, and even language starkly differ from those of native residents,” the source noted. Meanwhile, drivers along the Kandahar–Uruzgan Highway have reported sightings of unidentified armed individuals loitering along the roadside, further fueling security concerns.
The transfer of TTP militants into Afghanistan territory risks exacerbating regional security tensions, potentially straining Kabul-Islamabad relations and further destabilizing Afghanistan’s already precarious security situation, particularly in the country’s southern regions. Pakistan’s military has repeatedly accused the Taliban of providing safe haven and logistical support to TTP fighters allegations the Taliban have persistently dismissed as unfounded.
