Russia Warns of Growing ISIS Threat from Afghanistan
Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, warned during a recent UN Security Council meeting that the threat posed by terrorist groups such as ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan is on the rise. She cautioned that this could endanger the security of Central Asia and potentially extend beyond the region.
Evstigneeva stressed that ISIS is not only actively present in Afghanistan, but is also leveraging foreign fighters and weapons left behind by Western forces to expand its influence and plan possible attacks in neighboring countries.
According to a UN statement, the Russian diplomat rejected the Taliban administration’s claims that no terrorist groups are operating within Afghanistan. She pointed to clear evidence of such groups’ activities, including their use of modern technologies to pursue dangerous objectives.
Findings published by the UN monitoring team in September revealed that hundreds of fighters affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaeda are currently present in Afghanistan and remain active in various regions, especially in areas with limited oversight.
These warnings come as the Taliban government continues to deny the presence and activity of terrorist groups within Afghanistan — a claim contradicted by international reports and one that has heightened concerns about the country being used once again as a safe haven for terrorists.
