The Islamic State still poses a threat in Afghanistan

The government has several times said that the Daesh terrorist group had been suppressed, weakened or even uprooted in Afghanistan, while the terrorist group claims responsibility for several attacks across the country. It took responsibility for three big attacks recently in Kabul and Nangarhar.

The terrorist group claimed responsibility for attacks against the maternity hospital in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi, a funeral in Nangarhar and the latest attack that killed a cleric inside the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque in Kabul.

A government official said on condition of anonymity that the Dasht-e-Barchi hospital attack that killed and wounded only women and newborn babies, was not carried out only by Daesh terrorist group, but the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist groups had also collaborated.

The newest attack carried out by Daesh was in Wazir Akbra Khan mosque in which Ayaz Neyazi, religious scholar was killed.

The interior ministry says operations were launched to suppress Daesh terrorists, but also admits that an international consensus was needed against it.

“We are doing our best to suppress this group and detain its leaders, but we need an international consensus in this goal because this terrorist group is not only in Afghanistan, but is a big threat in the world,” said Tareq Aryan, interior ministry’s spokesman.

He acknowledged that Daesh is active with the help of other terrorist groups in different provinces of Afghanistan.

The United Nations also said in a report that the Haqqani network was in close ties and cooperation with the Daesh terrorist group. It said that Haqqani network paves the ground for Daesh terrorist group to carry out attacks in Kabul.

Some security analysts believe that Daesh terrorist group would become a successor for Taliban who now seem to reconcile with the government.

Source: Afghanistan Times