Terrorist threat still active from Afghanistan after Taliban came to power

Moscow notes with regret that the terrorist and drug threat continues to come from Afghanistan after the Taliban movement came to power in that country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

“I can confirm that the terrorist and drug threats coming from Afghanistan’s territory, as well as the general situation in these areas in that country, are still a pressing problem for us. I can state with regret that the situation has not changed after the Taliban came to power,” she said, adding that terror attacks staged by the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) in Afghan cities could be seen as an example of that.

“Another destabilizing factor in the region is the United States’ attempts to deploy its military infrastructure and Afghan maintenance personnel in Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. We see serious risks for regional stability in such steps,” she stressed.

She also dwelled on the threat of increasing migration. “Envoys of terrorist organizations, criminal elements, militants and so on may infiltrate into neighboring countries under the guise of refugees,” she added.

After the Biden administration announced the end of its US military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours.

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. On September 6, the Taliban said they had taken control of the entire country and announced a new interim government the following day. However, this government has not been officially recognized by any of the world nations.

Source: TASS