Taliban’s Fight Against ISIS-K is Serious, Says US Representative Thomas West

Thomas West, US Special Representative for Afghanistan, describes Taliban's fight against ISIS-K as serious.

During a speech at the Stimson Center on Tuesday, West said that the Taliban have killed at least eight ISIS-K commanders in Afghanistan in the past two years and that ISIS-K attacks on civilians, especially members of Hazara ethnic group, have decreased.

He added that he does not want to "exaggerate" the impact of the Taliban crackdown on ISIS-K activities, but ISIS-K attacks on civilians are not as often as before.

A day after the anniversary of the September 11 attack in 2001 by Al-Qaeda, the US representative delivered a speech at this center regarding the withdrawal of US forces and its impact on Afghanistan.

According to West, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is now a security threat in the region.

Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of not being able to control the Pakistani militia staying in Afghanistan. The sharp increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan has been attributed to the activities of TTP and their freedom of action in Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.

So far, Washington has not taken a position regarding Islamabad's requests to the Taliban to prevent the infiltration and attacks of Pakistani militia. Also, in the past two years, Washington has not seriously criticised the Taliban's relationship with the TTP and other militant groups, which are considered a threat by the regional countries.