Taliban on Thursday rejected concerns raised by members of the UN Security Council over the presence of terrorist groups in the country, calling them “baseless” and the result of “negative propaganda.”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed in a statement that Afghanistan was secure and that no foreign or unauthorised armed groups were operating on its soil.
“Afghanistan is safe, and no foreign or rogue groups are present in the country,” Mujahid said, adding that the Islamic State group had been defeated in Afghanistan and was now based in Pakistan.
His comments followed a Security Council meeting on Wednesday at which several members warned that militant groups operating in Afghanistan, including ISIS-K, continued to pose a serious threat to regional and international security.
At the meeting, Alexander Zouev, the UN’s acting under-secretary-general for counter-terrorism, said ISIS-K remained “one of the most serious threats to the region and beyond” despite a decline in attacks.
The UK’s representative said London remained focused on the threat posed by IS-K in Afghanistan and beyond, while China urged the Taliban to take “resolute” action against terrorist groups, warning that the threat in Afghanistan must be taken seriously. China said groups including Daesh, al Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement remained active.
Pakistan’s UN ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the council that militant groups had “got a new lease of life” following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
US envoy Mike Waltz said the persistent threat from IS-K in Afghanistan underscored the need for sustained and coordinated counter-terrorism efforts, warning that militant groups were increasingly exploiting new technologies.
Responding to the remarks, Mujahid said Afghanistan was not represented at the meeting and that some countries were exploiting that absence.
“When we say Afghan soil will not be used against anyone, it means no country should have concerns,” he said.
The Taliban’s denial comes despite repeated warnings from regional countries and UN monitoring bodies. A UN report has said Pakistan-focused militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have an estimated 6,000 fighters based in Afghanistan, a claim the Taliban have previously rejected.
