Putin says IS has 2,000 troops in Afghanistan and wants to expand in Central Asia

Vladimir Putin said on Friday that there are at least 2,000 militants from the Islamic State jihadist group in northern Afghanistan, which has aspirations to expand in Russia’s influential part of Central Asia.

The Russian president has said that “extremist and terrorist” groups are operating in northern Afghanistan, including ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Islamic movement in Uzbekistan.

“According to our information, the number of IS fighters is about 2,000 and their leaders are preparing plans to expand their influence in Central Asia and the Russian region by inciting ethnic clashes and religious hatred,” he said during a virtual show. CIS Summit, Organization of the former Soviet Union.

The Islamic State, the most active armed Islamic group in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks aimed at disrupting the “Emirate” declared by the Taliban.

Russia is concerned about an increase in attacks and fears that the entire region south of it could be disrupted.

Mr Putin expressed his concern for the first time this week, noting that hardened jihadists from Syria and Iraq were coming to Afghanistan.

Compromising with the Taliban against ISIS

Moscow views the Taliban as an extremist organization, but has maintained relations with them for many years.

Its ambassadors are scheduled to attend the first international meeting in Russia on October 20.

Representatives from China, Iran, Pakistan and India are also expected, and the Kremlin’s ambassador to Russia, Jameer Kapulov, has promised that the United States will be “guests.”

According to the Russian president, this will be a question of a mechanism to “normalize the situation” in Afghanistan.

Russia wants the Taliban to open their government to other forces for reconciliation and fighting groups like ISIS.

Twenty years after the US was ousted from power, the Taliban recaptured the country’s leadership in August following the withdrawal of the US military.

Russia is deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, which was occupied by Soviet forces for 10 years until their withdrawal in 1989 after the bloody war.

Author: 7sur7.be – 7sur7.be