ISLAMABAD: According to a recently released United Nations study, Al Qaeda and the self-declared Islamic State are becoming more powerful in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and may constitute a threat to the outside world.
In its 30th report, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which was established in accordance with UNSC Resolutions 1526 and 2253, examined the activities of Al Qaeda, the militant Islamic State (IS) group, and other terrorist organisations in Afghanistan and the surrounding area.
It came to the conclusion that both Al Qaeda and IS continue to pose a serious threat to the region’s peace and security, even though both organisations have the potential to launch attacks in non-conflict zones.Although the report covered the activities of terrorist organisations in various parts of the world, Afghanistan—home to Al Qaeda and one of IS’s busiest networks—has garnered particular attention, especially in light of the Taliban takeover, which will be commemorated on its first anniversary next month.
International peace is threatened in varied degrees by both Al Qaeda and IS. Long-term danger comes from Al Qaeda, but short- and medium-term danger comes from IS-Khorasan, the group’s Afghanistan-based affiliate.
Afghan citizen Sanaullah Ghafari, also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, has been in charge of the IS-K chapter since June 2020.
However, IS core has established a distinct organisation named Al-Siddiq office under the leadership of Sheikh Tamim al-Kurdi, also known as Abu Ahmed al-Madani, to further the group’s regional objectives.
