UN report: Terror groups have more freedom in Afghanistan now
- In Reports
- 08:36 PM, Feb 06, 2022
- Myind Staff
The 29th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the United Nations Security Council was made public this week. The UN prepares these reports twice a year in an effort to strengthen implementation of sanctions on militant groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
The son of slain terrorist Osama bin Laden went to Afghanistan and held meetings with the Taliban in October 2021, according to a new report by the United Nations. Further, the report says that there are no signs that the Taliban have taken steps to limit the activities of foreign terrorists in Afghanistan. In fact, terrorist groups enjoy greater freedom in Afghanistan today than at any other time in recent history, the report says.
Terror groups ranging from al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) enjoy more freedom in Afghanistan than in recent years, the report stated.
The report said al-Qaeda was maintaining a “strategic silence” after congratulating the Taliban on its victory last year, apparently “not to compromise Taliban efforts to gain international recognition and legitimacy”.
“The security landscape in Afghanistan changed dramatically on 15 August, when the Taliban took control of the country. There are no recent signs that the Taliban has taken steps to limit the activities of foreign terrorist fighters in the country,” the report said.
"On the contrary, terrorist groups enjoy greater freedom there than at any time in recent history,” it said, adding that UN member states have not reported “significant new movements of foreign terrorist fighters to Afghanistan”.
“One Member State reported that Bin Laden’s son, Abdallah (not listed), visited Afghanistan in October for meetings with the Taliban. [Current al-Qaeda chief] Aiman al-Zawahiri was reported alive as recently as January 2021, but Member States continue to believe that he is in poor health,” the report said.
The UN report estimates that the strength of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Khorasan (ISIL-K) has risen from earlier estimates of 2,200 to nearly 4,000, following the release of several thousand prisoners.
This group controls limited territory in eastern Afghanistan and is capable of conducting high-profile and complex attacks, the report says.
“The group aims to position itself as the chief rejectionist force in Afghanistan, with a wider regional agenda threatening neighbouring Central and South Asian countries,” the report adds.
The al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is led by Osama Mehmood, his deputy Atif Yahya Ghouri and has between 200-400 fighters from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan, the report says. The group fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Image courtesy: AP
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