Number of Daesh Terrorists in Afghanistan Could Grow to 10,000 - Envoy to UN
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Islamic State terrorist organization (Daesh) is on the rise in war-torn Afghanistan, and the group's numbers could soon grow to up to 10,000 members in the country, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia warned during a Security Council meeting on Monday.
"At the focus of our close attention is a surge of terrorist activity by the Afghan wing of ISIL [Daesh terror group*], whose ranks are growing largely due to foreign fighters with battlefield experience in Syria and Iraq," Nebenzia said. "According to our information, the number of ISIL adherents may reach 10,000 individuals."
Nebenzia noted that Russia is troubled by the Daesh’s attempts to reach an agreement with the Taliban and other organizations in an effort to coordinate operations. Contacts have strengthened between Daesh and representatives of the Islamic Turkistan movement, he added.
Nebenzia also said that it is necessary to proactively leverage the UN Security Council’s sanctions mechanisms, and pointed out that Russia advocates for additional barriers to preempt terrorist activity in the country by targeting individual and entities complicit in Daesh operations.
The fight against Daesh in Afghanistan would be far more effective if regional and international efforts were brought together, Nebenzia said.
Afghanistan has long been suffering from an unstable security situation. The government has been fighting the Taliban, which has been waging a war against Kabul for almost two decades, and against Daesh.
- Source : RT
