Militant group Daesh pose no threat to Afghanistan, claims Taliban's minister

On Monday, September 20, the Taliban's Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid said that Islamic State (Daesh) are not a threat to the country and the newly formed government is capable enough to restrain them. Speaking to Tolo News, he said that Daesh do not pose any threat and the Taliban know how to neutralize their techniques. Some political analysts believe the group is still active in Afghanistan, based on recent strikes in Nangarhar and Kabul. Meanwhile, Mujahid claimed that two groups were apprehended in connection with the recent explosion in Nangarhar province, reported Tolo News. The United States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and others in the international community have repeatedly expressed their concerns about Al Qaeda and Daesh operations in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have maintained that no insurgent group will be allowed to operate from Afghanistan.

Tolo News stated that Daesh claimed responsibility for a number of strikes in Kabul and Nangarhar province during the last one month. On Sunday, September 19, an explosion occurred in Nangarhar province, killing a child and injuring two individuals, one of them was a Taliban forces member. Two people were injured in a blast in Kabul on Saturday, September 18, and two additional blasts hit a Taliban truck in Nangarhar the same day, injuring roughly 20 people. Notably, insurgent group Daesh claimed responsibility for these attacks, according to Tolo News. Nangarhar is one of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, located in the eastern part of the country bordering Pakistan and Osama bin Laden had a significant presence in Nangarhar in the late 1990s, the report stated. 

NATO warns of terrorism-related issues in Afghanistan

Last week Admiral Rob Bauer, chief of NATO Military Committee, stated that Afghanistan might confront terrorism-related issues in the near future. Speaking at a meeting in Greece, he claimed that NATO has not yet stepped up against terrorism in the war-torn country; however, if the challenge intensifies, the military will respond quickly, reported The Associated Press (AP). The NATO military commanders' summit in Athens also made it clear that preventing a resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan is the alliance's top priority. Meanwhile, the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) reported earlier this month that after the United States ended its 20-year engagement in Afghanistan, NATO is back to square one in dealing with the country's crisis.

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