Russia: More than 23,000 foreign fighters are present in Afghanistan.
The Secretary of the Russian Security Council has announced that Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban has become a safe haven for more than 23,000 fighters of international terrorist groups.
Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of the Council, wrote in an article in the newspaper “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” that about twenty terrorist groups are based in Afghanistan and that the ISIS Khorasan branch has caused the most concern by establishing bases and training camps in the east, north and northeast of the country.
While the Taliban claim to have destroyed ISIS in Afghanistan, evidence shows that the group has not only failed to suppress terrorism, but has also practically paved the way for these groups to operate freely with their contradictory positions and the ambiguous atmosphere they have created.
Many observers believe that the Taliban indirectly exploit the presence and activities of some extremist groups politically and even use them as a tool to pressure countries in the region.
The Taliban have repeatedly denied UN Security Council reports on the presence of ISIS and other terrorist groups, but at the same time have spoken of operations against them.
This dual approach has caused Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists and a center for regional instability; something that Russia and other countries believe is not possible without some kind of support or condoning of the Taliban.
