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The militant group is highly critical of the 2020 deal between Washington and the Taliban
When desperate Afghans crowded the Kabul airport trying to escape the Taliban on an evacuation flight, officials warned of another threat: the Da’esh organization.
President Joe Biden stated that the organization’s regional chapter (known as Daesh-Khorasan or Daesh-K) carries a “serious and increasing risk” of attacks at the airport.
The U.S., U.K., and Australia have told people to leave the area for safer places.
When asked directly about the threat, the Taliban spokesperson admitted that in the chaotic situation where they are solely responsible for the US-led evacuation operations, there is a risk of “nuisance” causing trouble.
What is Islamic State Khorasan?
A few months after Da’esh announced the establishment of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria in 2014, separatist fighters from the Pakistani Taliban joined the Afghan militants to form a regional chapter and pledge allegiance to Da’esh leader Abu Bakr Baghdad Di.
The following year, the organization took root in northeastern Afghanistan, especially in Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces, and was officially recognized by the central leadership of the Islamic State.
According to UN monitors, it has also managed to set up sleeper cells in Pakistan and other parts of Afghanistan, including Kabul.
According to a report issued by the UN Security Council last month, the latest estimates of its strength range from thousands of active fighters to as low as 500.
“Khorasan” is the historical name of the region, including parts of today’s Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.
What kind of attack did it carry out?
The Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter of the Islamic State is responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in recent years.
It massacred civilians in mosques, holy sites, public squares and even hospitals in both countries.
The organization specifically targets Muslims from sects it considers to be heretics, including Shiites.
Last year, it was blamed on an attack that shocked the world in which gunmen ransacked in a bloody obstetric ward in a Shia-dominated community in Kabul, killing 16 mothers and expectant mothers.
In addition to the bombing and massacres, Daesh Khorasan failed to occupy any territory in the area and suffered huge losses due to military operations led by the Taliban and the United States.
According to the assessment of the United Nations and the US military, after a fiasco, Daesh-Khorasan now conducts high-profile attacks mainly through secret teams located in or near cities.
What is the relationship between Daesh-Khorasan and the Taliban?
Although these two groups are tough militants, they have not lost love between them.
They disagree on the details of religion and strategy.
This battle led to a bloody battle between the two. In 2019, when Daesh Khorasan failed to gain territory like its parent organization did in the Middle East, the Taliban basically won.
As a sign of hostility between the two militant groups, the Islamic State’s statement referred to the Taliban as an apostate.
How did the Islamic State react to the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan?
not good.
Last year, Da’esh was highly critical of Washington’s agreement with the Taliban to withdraw foreign troops, accusing the latter of abandoning his career.
After the Taliban took over Afghanistan by lightning, some militiamen around the world congratulated them-but not Da’esh.
According to the SITE intelligence group that monitors radical communications, a Daesh comment published after the fall of Kabul accused the Taliban of betraying the withdrawal agreement they reached with the United States and vowed to continue fighting.
What are the threats to Kabul Airport?
US officials said that Kabul Airport was under high threat from Daesh Khorasan, and thousands of foreign troops led by the United States were surrounded by desperate Afghans.
On Wednesday night, a series of nearly identical travel warnings from London, Canberra and Washington urged people gathered in the area to move to safer places.
They did not provide any specific details about the threat.
Biden said on Sunday that Daesh-K is “a mortal enemy of the Taliban and they have a history of fighting each other.”
He added: “But every day we have troops on the ground, and innocent civilians in these troops and airports are at risk of attacks from the Islamic State.”
Some military transport planes that have taken off from Kabul Airport in recent days have fired flares, usually used to attract heat-seeking missiles.
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