Taliban Hinders ISIS-K Attack Capabilities In Afghanistan, Reports UN

Vladimir Voronkov, Under Secretary General for Counterterrorism announced that the Taliban's actions have significantly hindered ISIS-K's ability to conduct attacks within Afghanistan.

Voronkov, however, highlighted that ISIS remains a significant threat to international peace and security, particularly in areas of conflict.

In a report presented to the UN Security Council about ISIS activities in Afghanistan, Voronkov remarked, "According to reports, the Taliban's actions have impacted ISIS-K's ability to launch attacks inside Afghanistan."

Yet, it was also noted by UN experts that the Taliban continues its associations with the Al-Qaeda.

Despite these efforts, ISIS continues to launch attacks in Afghanistan, resulting in numerous casualties among Afghans, notably affecting the Hazara community in Kabul and Herat.

Voronkov pointed out the escalating threat of ISIS in the regions of West Africa and the Sahel, along with an increase in the group's assaults in its former bases in Iraq and Syria.

Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, mentioned that persistent challenges in the Middle East, as well as in Western and Central Asia, have spurred ISIS to reassert its presence in these areas.

UN experts last month indicated that despite defeats in Iraq in 2017 and Syria subsequently, ISIS still maintains a force of three to five thousand fighters in these nations. Although the frequency of attacks by the group in Iraq has lessened, their activities in Syria have surged since November.

Additionally, the head of the UN Office of Counterterrorism stated the presence of ISIS has diminished in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, and Mozambique.

He also elaborated on the international efforts to disrupt ISIS's financial networks, revealing that these measures have reduced the group's financial reserves to between $10 to $25 million from the several hundreds of millions it once had.

The Islamic State group, or ISIS, which branched off from Al-Qaeda over ten years ago, managed to attract substantial worldwide support and at one point controlled extensive territories in Iraq and Syria under the guise of the Islamic State.