Taliban rebuffs UN report claiming presence of terror groups in Afghanistan

Afghan security forces have conducted hundreds of operations against illegal weapons, Da’ish, says Taliban spokesman

ANKARA:

Afghanistan's interim Taliban government has rejected a UN Security Council report claiming that several terrorist groups, including Dai’sh and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are present in the country and have access to weapons left by US-led foreign forces.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan once again rejects these baseless accusations and, while calling for transparent involvement in such issues, states that in the last two years, Afghan security forces have conducted hundreds of continuous operations against illegal weapons and ISIS," government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X, formerly Twitter, late on Saturday.

"As a result, weapons and ammunition were captured and ISIS' operational capabilities were destroyed," Mujahid added.

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The rebuttal came after two UN counter-terrorism officials told the Security Council on Friday that Da’ish and its affiliates, such as TTP, were armed with NATO-calibre weapons and continue to pose a significant threat in conflict zones and neighbouring countries.

"Anyone who makes such baseless claims, either has little information, or is encouraging the emergence of already-eliminated ISIS with propaganda, or is fuelling instability in the region," Mujahid went on to say.

He claimed that the activities of Da’ish in Afghanistan have been "reduced to zero" over the past year. "Unfounded and undocumented claims about the presence of this group published by an international organisation are unacceptable," he said.

Mujahid asserted that the main cause of humanitarian difficulties in Afghanistan were "unilateral" sanctions by the UN and others, along with the freezing of its assets.

He called for an immediate change in these policies for the sake of "stability in the region."

The Taliban have been struggling to control a low-intensity wave of terrorist attacks across Afghanistan since they stormed back to power in Kabul two years ago.

Islamabad also accuses Kabul of not doing enough to control Afghanistan-based TTP militants who have unleashed a new spate of terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Kabul, for its part, denies the charges.