ASTANA: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has urged the Afghan government to fulfill its commitments in combating terrorism, as highlighted during the nineteenth annual meeting of the Security Councils of the SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan.
A joint statement released following the SCO meeting underscored the serious threat posed by the presence of international terrorist groups and other factions based in Afghanistan to the member states of the SCO. The statement emphasized the necessity of expanding cooperation to address various security challenges, including terrorist threats, transnational organized crime, suppression of channels financing terrorism, and illegal migration.
This call for action comes in the wake of concerns raised by the US State Department, which reiterated Afghanistan’s responsibility to deny safe haven to terrorist organizations such as al-Qaida or ISIS-K. Matthew Miller, a representative of the US State Department, reaffirmed the commitment to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a sanctuary for terrorism, urging the Taliban to fulfill their counterterrorism obligations to the international community.
The statement from the US State Department follows emerging evidence indicating the use of Afghan territory for terrorist activities, particularly targeting neighboring countries. A recently surfaced video revealed plans by Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) militants to plan attacks on Pakistan’s security forces, with the collaboration of Taliban militants.
In the video, TTA terrorist Yahya can be seen directing his associates in planning attacks, while also inciting further violence against Pakistan. The video highlights the urgency of addressing the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil and underscores the need for concerted efforts to combat this menace.
