India warns of 'significant increase' in terror presence in Afghanistan

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Nakul Shivani • 1 Years ago
Ruchira Kamboj
Ruchira Kamboj

 

United Nations

India has warned of a "significant increase" in the presence of terrorist groups in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and threats to other countries emanating from the war-torn country.

 "We need to see concrete progress in ensuring that such proscribed terrorists, entities, or their aliases do not get any support, tacit or direct, either from Afghan soil or from the terror sanctuaries based in the region," India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj told the UN Security Council on Monday.

India's concerns about terrorist threats from Afghanistan were widely shared by participants at the Council meeting held on the eve of the anniversary of the US withdrawal from the country.

Kamboj said that there was "a significant increase" in the presence of the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) terror group in Afghanistan and its "capacity to carry out attacks".

The IS affiliate "continues to issue threats of terrorist attacks on other countries", she said.

Kamboj drew attention to the attack on a gurdwara in Kabul in June and the bomb explosion near it the next month, which she said were "hugely alarming".

IS-K had claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The linkages between groups listed by the UN Security Council such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, as well as provocative statements made by other terrorist groups operating out of Afghanistan pose a direct threat to the peace and stability of the region," she added.

The UK, France, the US, Albania, Kenya and, even, China and Russia acknowledged the terrorism threats from Afghanistan.

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The meeting was convened at the request of Russia, which, along with China, Iran and Pakistan, wanted the sanctions on the Taliban eased.