The terrorist organization ISIS (banned in Russia — approx. ed.) is stepping up its presence in Afghanistan and intends to intensify operations in the countries surrounding it from the North, primarily in Tajikistan. The ultimate goal is to attack Russia.
The warning came from the news channel al-Jazeera, which recently released the documentary described the threat emanating from ISIS in Afghanistan.
Ahmad Saeedi (Ahmad Saeedi), a researcher at the Dawat University in Kabul, in the documentary says that ISIL has increased its presence in the Afghan province of Badakhshan. This region — long border with Tajikistan, a country which in turn is in the spheres of interests of Russia.
Russia has about five thousand soldiers in Tajikistan. The growing threat from extremists in neighboring Afghanistan led to the fact that Russian troops are now helping to patrol the border, which was agreed after the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Dushanbe earlier this year.
Zubair Masood (Zubair Massoud), a member of the security Council of Afghanistan, in the documentary says that the ISIL terrorists will regroup to Syria and Iraq to go to Afghanistan, “burn with hatred for Russia,” whose military action was facilitated by the fact that the “Caliphate” of ISIS in Syria and Iraq now lies in ruins.
In addition, because of the presence of ISIL in Afghanistan, Russia has resumed its informal contacts with old enemies in the Taliban (a terrorist organization banned in Russia — approx. ed.). During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989), the Afghan Islamic Mujahideen movement was the main enemy of the Kremlin — many of these resistance fighters and later transferred to the Taliban.
But now the playing field looks different. ISIS is trying all means to survive the Taliban from Afghanistan that those forced to turn to Russia.
Experts in Kabul believe, moreover, that in the new position of Russia there is a considerable proportion of Realpolitik: when the Western countries headed by the USA reduce its military presence in Afghanistan, Russia wants to show what will be in this strategically important country factor that must be considered.
At the same time, about the size and power of ISIL in Afghanistan there are discussions. Captain bill Selwyn (Bill Salvin), speaker of the Afghan forces of the United States (now the United States approximately 10 thousand people in this country), recently claimed that the number of ISIS fighters in Afghanistan rather decreased from a maximum of three thousand years ago to about 800 today.
In addition, about a month ago was killed by Abdul Haseeb (Abdel Hasib) — the man whom us troops called the leader of the Afghan followers of ISIS.
Captain Selwyn predicts ISIS in Afghanistan will be “destroyed” during 2017.
But other observers believe the prediction of the Selwyn unrealistic.
Although the leaders of ISIL and suffered losses, and the terrorists now have little control over some territory in Afghanistan, the movement still has the ability to organize attacks. Just a little over a week ago, two suicide bombers attacked the premises of the broadcaster RTA in the large city of Jalalabad. Killed at least six people and wounded about 20. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack.
ISIS in Afghanistan
ISIS was formed in Afghanistan in 2014. Periodically, the terrorist movement had gained control of vital parts of the Nangarhar province near Kabul, but now it is there expelled.
Today, there are disputes about how large the presence of ISIL in Afghanistan. According to the US military, we are talking about 800 militants, but the security agencies of Afghanistan have reported much greater numbers.
Recently, there are warnings about terrorists ISIS, who after the expulsion from Syria and Iraq are in Afghanistan. There are also reports that the “Islamic state” is growing in the neighboring country — Pakistan, and Tajikistan created the cell of ISIS.
