The latest: The Afghan Diaspora Network in a new report has stated that the Islamic State Khorasan Province’s (ISKP), the regional affiliate of the terrorist group ISIS, is lodged in a power tussle with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The group is gaining momentum and poses a major challenge to the Taliban, who is also seeking international support, as it failed to contain terrorism and improve its human rights record.
Go deeper:
- The published report stated that the target of ISKP is to threaten diplomatic missions, international organizations such as the UN and various NGOs in the region.
- It also aims to challenge Taliban’s increased hobnobbing with China and the US, it said.
- The report recalled the attack on the “Longan Hotel” which is frequently visited by Chinese visitors, the targeted ambush on the Pakistan Charge d’Affaires and even the Russian embassy blast and said that it will be difficult for Taliban to maintain its supremacy or seek international support as it is failing to contain terrorism and improve its human rights record.
- The report stated that such ISIS incidents indicate that it is the beginning of the next phase of terrorist disturbances in Afghanistan.
- The attacks on foreign nationals, embassies and other important places has jeopardised the Taliban regime’s efforts to enhance its global strategic engagements including economic engagements, according to the Afghan Diaspora Network citing analysts.
- These attacks have exposed the Taliban’s constraints and undermined its capacity to protect its global partners and its supremacy. It showed that it could not provide security for the diplomatic establishments, the report stated.
- ISIS has been targeting high-profile landmarks like embassies or ethnic minorities like Shia and Hazaras. The series of attacks intended to compel Russia, China and other dominant influencers in Kabul to review their strategy and engagements in Afghanistan.
Zoom out: Terrorism has its own boomerang effects. Taliban cannot prevent other terrorist outfits from the acts it adopted as a strategy to capture power and bog down people to accept its version of Islamic precepts and practices, howsoever retrograde, reported Afghan Diaspora Network.
- Even in the case of Pakistan, the double standards on Taliban have now boomeranged as the TTP has stepped up attacks across Pakistan with a spate of incidents over the past week. It has prompted the Shahbaz Sharif-led government to throw blame at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for a surge in terrorist activities.
