There are currently over 20 terrorist groups actively operating in Afghanistan; these groups pose a significant threat not only to Afghanistan but also to the broader region, according to Mohammad Zahir Agbar, the Afghan government's ambassador to Tajikistan, who assumed his role before the Taliban took control.
"We are observing the existence of 21 terrorist groups in various regions of Afghanistan, and this poses a grave threat to both the region and the global community. We are also witnessing the trend of technical schools being shut down while madrassas run by jihadists are being established. This situation is not to be taken lightly and will undoubtedly lead to severe repercussions," he stated in an interview with Asia Plus.
The diplomat also expressed the perspective that supporters of the radical Taliban (banned in Russia), who took control of Afghanistan two years ago, "have been unsuccessful in forming an inclusive government and are unlikely to achieve such a goal."
The Taliban initiated an operation to seize control of Afghanistan following the decision by US authorities in 2021 to withdraw their military forces from the country. On August 15 of the same year, the militants entered Kabul without facing resistance. In September, the Taliban announced the formation of an interim government, yet its legitimacy has not been acknowledged by any country globally. This year, on August 15, demonstrations took place in several Afghan provinces to mark the second anniversary of the Taliban's ascendancy.
In January, The Independent Persian reported that Mohammad Zahir Agbar was relieved of his role as Afghanistan's ambassador to Tajikistan by the Taliban's interim government's Foreign Ministry. The diplomat himself conveyed at the time that he would continue working at the embassy in Dushanbe, as it does not recognize the legitimacy of the interim government.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Vladimir Varfolomeev/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS