A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense clarified on Thursday that the Taliban is not part of the U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
During a press briefing, Sabrina Singh stated that the U.S. collaborates with like-minded partners and allies in its efforts to eradicate ISIS. “The U.S. has a global coalition to defeat ISIS; the Taliban is not part of that,” Singh told reporters.
This statement follows an NBC report citing two sources familiar with the matter, suggesting that Washington is considering cooperation with the Taliban to combat ISIS. The Taliban, however, has consistently claimed that it has suppressed the ISIS threat in Afghanistan, though regional and international concerns about terrorism originating from Afghanistan under Taliban rule persist.
According to United Nations reports, over 20 terrorist organizations are currently active in Afghanistan, with ISIS having claimed responsibility for numerous deadly attacks targeting civilians. Most recently, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack on a civilian vehicle in Dasht-e Barchi two weeks ago.
