Al-Qaeda terrorist group present in at least fifteen Afghan provinces
Concerns that a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after the US pullout could see a resurgence in Al Qaeda and Daesh activity are hardly misplaced — the latest report by the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Committee says Al Qaeda is operational in 15 Afghan provinces.
Released on Friday evening, the 28th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team says, “Al-Qaida is present in at least 15 Afghan provinces, primarily in the eastern, southern and south-eastern regions…. Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under Taliban protection from Kandahar, Helmand and Nimruz Provinces. Since the death of Asim Umar in 2019, AQIS has been led by Osama Mahmood (not listed). The group consists mainly of Afghan and Pakistani nationals, but also individuals from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.”
The same report in February said Al Qaeda was present in 11 Afghan provinces, which means it has grown in influence. This, despite reports that the chief of Al Qaeda, Ayman al Zawahiri may be ailing, calling into question its succession plans.
According to the report, the most likely successor to Zawahiri would be Sayf-al-Adl (Mohammed Salahaldin Abd El Halim Zidane ) who lives in Iran. “The leadership succession calculations of Al-Qaida are complicated by the peace process in Afghanistan where, under the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States of America and the Taliban of February 2020, the Taliban is committed to suppressing any international terrorist threat. It is unclear whether Sayf-Al Adl would be able to travel to Afghanistan to take up the position of leader of Al-Qaida.”
Meanwhile, despite protestations of contested relations between Taliban and Daesh, the report says, “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K) (QDe.161) has moved into other provinces, including Nuristan, Badghis, Sari Pul, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Kunduz and Kabul, where fighters have formed sleeper cells. The group has strengthened its positions in and around Kabul, where it conducts most of its attacks, targeting minorities, activists, government employees and personnel of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.”
The report says Taliban has been squeezing funds for the Central Asian groups operating in Afghanistan. However, another part of the report says Taliban has been working with some of these groups to expand its combat operations in the north, specifically in Kunduz province. Reports from Afghanistan on Friday said the Taliban now control 90 per cent of the northern borders of Afghanistan.
Taliban has also promised to China not to allow the activities of ETIM (Uyghur militants) in Afghanistan or to target China’s Xinjiang province in any way. The UNSC monitoring report however says, “ETIM consists of several hundred members and remains active in Badakhshan, Faryab, Kabul and Nuristan Provinces of Afghanistan. The group is aligned primarily with Al-Qaida. It maintains close links with Jamaat Ansarullah and Katiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.”
Source: India Times
