Key Points:
- Domestic ISIS-K activity intensifies in Afghanistan, threatening regional stability
- Foreign fighters and external funding support militant operations
- Taliban counter-extremism measures deemed insufficient by Russia
- UN reports Afghanistan remains a permissive environment for global militants
ISLAMABAD: Russia has warned the United Nations Security Council that Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) is strengthening its foothold in Afghanistan, raising concerns over regional stability and the potential spread of militant activity beyond the country’s borders.
UN reports Afghanistan remains a permissive environment for global militantsAt the Security Council meeting on 19 November, Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva, in remarks broadcast on UN Web TV, said Taliban measures against extremist groups remain inadequate. She noted that militants include foreign fighters with experience in Syria and Iraq and receive external funding that enables ongoing operations inside Afghanistan.
Evstigneeva also warned that terrorist groups beyond Afghanistan’s borders could exploit abandoned Western weapons. The apparent risk of militant activity spreading into Central Asia and neighbouring regions, the Russian envoy added, calling for a comprehensive international effort to dismantle these networks.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has stated that more than 23,000 fighters from international extremist groups are active in Afghanistan, posing serious regional and global security risks. UN experts reported that Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, continues to provide an environment conducive to foreign terrorist organisations, including al Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, with multiple training sites operating nationwide.
The developments underscore the need for coordinated international action to curb terrorist movements, secure remaining weapon stockpiles, and prevent Afghanistan from serving as a terrorist haven.
