US worried about expanding ISIS Khorasan activities

Ahmed Adel

The US has growing fears from the activity of ISIS in Afghanistan.

This comes in the light of reassurances by the ruling Taliban movement that it would not allow the terrorist organization to expand in the country.

The number of ISIS elements in the central Asian region has reached 6,500. It has become a major threat to stability in the region as a whole.

The BBC quoted Commander of the US forces in the Middle East (CENTCOM), Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, as saying during a meeting of the committee on the security situation in the Middle East and North Africa at the Pentagon that ISIS Khorasan is developing significantly.

The organization, he added, carries out external operations in Europe and Asia.

Kurilla described the situation as ‘very dangerous’ for Washington.

He said the administration of US President Joe Biden is committed to the Taliban’s pledge to prevent Afghanistan from turning into a base for terrorist organizations or groups to carry out terrorist operations against Washington or its allies.

Kurilla added that ISIS Khorasan has become bolder in the recent period, as it is working to carry out its terrorist operations outside the scope of Afghanistan.

The Taliban pledged in 2020, during negotiations over the Doha agreement with the US, to fight armed organizations in Afghanistan and not allow the use of the country in attacks against other countries.

ISIS numbers decreasing

For his part, Taliban Spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the number of ISIS members in Afghanistan is witnessing a significant decrease.

He stressed that the group has weakened and its numbers are lower than before.

Mujahid noted that the political and military leadership of the US exaggerates the issue of the numbers of those joining ISIS.

He called this a ‘big mistake’, expressing fears that this mistake would embolden the terrorist group even more.

Escalation

International relations researcher, Mohamed Rabie al-Dehi, said the continuation of activities by ISIS Khorasan in Afghanistan has raised many questions.

“This is especially true with the escalation of by the group since the Taliban took power in August 2021,” he told The Reference.

He added that the Taliban rejects the strategy of ISIS, especially when it comes to carrying out attacks against foreign interests inside Afghanistan and using the country as a base for attacks against other countries.