Kabul/ Washington : In the light of the aggressive action by the US and by the military of Afghanistan, the terrorist outfit ‘ISIS’ has allegedly joined hands with the Taliban. This information comes from the government and the military officers of Afghanistan, report the American media. It is only a few days since the US President Barack Obama announced that the US military would not be withdrawing presence from Afghanistan unless and until the ‘ISIS’ terrorists were stamped out completely.
The ISIS has been active in Afghanistan since 2014 and even more so over the last few months. Besides, Russia, of Syria and Iraq US and its allies as also the US-backed groups all have been launching extensive attacks against the ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The ISIS has had to suffer major losses in both Iraq and Syria and has even lost more than 50% of the territory it once held, compelling it to turn its attention to a country like Afghanistan.
Over the last two years the ISIS has succeeded in creating a strong hold in Eastern Afghanistan but the fact remains that the it has had to put up a strong fight against the US and the Afghanistan military on the one hand and the Taliban on the other. Fighting on two fronts at one and the same time incurs tremendous losses which was why the ISIS decided to arrive at a cease-fire with the Taliban, claim Afghani officials. No conflict has been reported in Eastern Afghanistan between the ISIS and the Taliban over the past two months substantiating the claim that the two groups have entered into an alliance, stated the Afghani officials.
Moreover it is believed that the alliance between the Taliban and the ISIS could even have financial considerations behind it. The loss of territory in Syria and Iraq has resulted in a dip in the income for the ISIS that the sale of oil had been bringing in. Strengthening its hold on Afghanistan, the ISIS planned to gain control over drug trade, which would serve to make good the damage they had suffered. The ‘Federal Drug Control Service’ of Russia informs that the terrorist organizations in Afghanistan earn about a billion dollars through drug trade.
It is on this background that the announcement of the US President, that the American military would keep presence until the total destruction of the ‘ISIS’, assumes special significance. Should the ISIS and the Taliban join hands and launch attacks on the US and the Afghani military, the conflict in Afghanistan could become all the more intense not to mention the possibility that it could continue indefinitely.
Over the past one year, Taliban has strengthened its grip on Afghanistan and a report issued in July states that it has a hold over more than 20% of the country’s land. Launching consistent attacks on the Southern and the North-Western regions of Afghanistan that are under the government’s sway, the Taliban is trying to gain control over them. So in consideration of these factors, the possibility that the suspension of hostilities between the Taliban and the ISIS could facilitate the expansion of the Taliban’s domain of control, cannot be denied.
Related posts:
Russia objects to Turkey military actions in Syria
Taliban attacks Afghan military base, kills 15 Afghan soldiers
Pakistan army kills 39 terrorists in crackdown against terror attack, death toll rises to 80
