'IS-K expanding to all Afghan provinces': UN calls out Taliban's inability to stop them

The United Nations has informed that the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-K) that has carried out a series of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan is now expanding to nearly all provinces in the country. According to a report by Sputnik, Deborah Lyons, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan has asserted that the Taliban are unable to stop IS-K. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council briefing on Afghanistan, she has also called out the Taliban's inability to stall the expansion of Islamic State Khorasan Province. 

"Major negative development has been the Taliban's inability to stem the expansion of the Islamic State Khorasan Province," said Deborah Lyons 

Taliban arrest 11 ISIS-K suspects in Daikundi Province

On Tuesday, the Taliban informed that it arrested 11 people suspected to be affiliated with the Islamic State-Khorasan Province. The persons were arrested in Afghanistan's Daikundi province. According to Khaama Press, the Taliban officials informed that the suspects are from Helmand, Ghazni and Uruzgan provinces. In addition, it also reported that weapons were also seized by the suspects and further investigation was underway.

The arrests were made after the Taliban recently detained en ISIS-K and killed three more during a large-scale operation in Kandahar province. Taliban's officials claimed that four hideouts of ISIS-K were eliminated in the province. Taliban's actions against the IS-K come after a series of bomb blasts that have been taking place in the war-torn country since the insurgent group took over the country after the hasty withdrawal of United States and other Western troops from Afghanistan. 

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province is posing a challenge to the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan. The country has witnessed a spate of terrorist attacks on civilians, mainly the Shia Muslims. Taliban's Intelligence Department had recently claimed that at least 600 IS-K terrorists were arrested in the past three months across the country. However, the authorities have claimed that the security situation in Afghanistan remains “satisfactory”. The Taliban regime has also dismissed IS-K as being a major threat in the war-ravaged nation.  

(With ANI inputs)