Iran-based al-Qaeda network sends money and terrorists to Afghanistan and Syria

Tehran continued to permit an al Qaeda facilitation network to operate in Iran, sending money and fighters to conflict zones in Afghanistan and Syria, and it still allowed AQ members to reside in the country, the United States said Wednesday.

In its annual terrorism report, the US State Department said Tehran “has allowed [Al Qaeda] facilitators to operate a core facilitation pipeline through Iran since at least 2009, enabling [the group] to move funds and fighters to South Asia and Syria”.

The report labelled Iran as the worst state sponsor of terrorism for its support of “Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza and various terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq and throughout the Middle East” and deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force throughout the region.

According to the report, Pakistan remained a safe harbor for other regionally focused terrorist groups. “It allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated HQN, as well as groups targeting India, including LeT and its affiliated front organizations, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to operate from its territory.”

Pakistan, however, did make some positive contributions to the Afghanistan peace process, such as encouraging Taliban reductions in violence, according to the report.

Attacks attributed to terrorist activity continued to increase in 2019 in Afghanistan. According to Resolute Support Mission reporting, between January 1 and September 30, insurgent and terrorist attacks were responsible for 1,618 civilians killed and an additional 4,958 wounded, the report said.

Source: 1TV News