Kabul (BNA) Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan welcomed the United Nations Security Council watchdog charged with monitoring sanctions against global jihadist groups report stating that Taliban still helping key leaders of al-Qaeda, noting that several top leaders continue to be “given shelter and protection by the Taliban”.
“The Taliban’s ties with al-Qaeda, ISIS and some other terrorist groups are still strong, and the killing of several al-Qaeda commanders, including Hussam Abdul Rauf, known as Abu Mohsen al-Masri, in Taliban-held areas, is a clear evidence to this claim,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.
The report also cites threats and coordination between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), regional terrorist groups and the Islamic Jihad group, which has hundreds of active Taliban-backed and controlled fighters in Faryab and Kunduz provinces, according to the statement.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, while welcoming the findings of this report, reiterates its rightful position that the Taliban do not adhere to their commitments and calls on international partners, including the United Nations, to force Taliban and their supporters to accept ceasefire and end targeted killings and ties with other terror groups,” the statement added.
The UN report also stated further evidence of close relations between Taliban and other terror groups, hinting at the release of the wife of the late Asim Umar, a former AQIS leader, who was among the more than 5,000 Taliban prisoners freed by the Government of Afghanistan in 2020.
The report also underlines the growing power of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, with estimated 2,500-6,000-armed personnel and responsible, according to one member-state, for more than 100 cross-border strikes into Afghanistan last year.
