WASHINGTON: In a recent seminar held at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tom West, delivered an assessment that highlights the Taliban’s “successful” offensive against the Islamic State branch in Afghanistan, IS-Khorasan, which has resulted in the “significant degradation” of its capability and a steady decrease in large-scale attacks against civilians.
West pointed out that the Taliban’s aggressive and violent offensive against IS-Khorasan has been instrumental in weakening the group’s capabilities. He noted that since early 2023, the Taliban has executed raids that eliminated at least eight key IS-KP leaders, some of whom were responsible for planning external attacks. This concerted effort has led to a “steady decrease” in attacks against Afghan civilians, marking a positive shift in the country’s security landscape.
In the past, Afghanistan witnessed horrific attacks, particularly against the Hazara population. However, since the Taliban’s counterterrorism actions against IS-Khorasan, there has been no resurgence of such devastating attacks.
While the campaign against IS-Khorasan has yielded positive results, Tom West cautioned that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, poses the greatest threat to regional stability. The TTP, designated as a global terrorist organization by the United States, has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in neighbouring Pakistan and operates from sanctuaries within Afghanistan.
According to Pakistani officials, the TTP has intensified cross-border attacks since the Taliban regained power in Kabul two years ago. These attacks have become a daily occurrence and have claimed the lives of over 1,500 Pakistanis, including civilians and security personnel, primarily in districts near or along the Afghan border.
The TTP’s allegiance to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Afghan Taliban, is a matter of public record. The TTP emerged in the border areas of Pakistan in 2007 and fought alongside the Taliban against US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan, developing close ties in the process.
Tom West refrained from commenting on Pakistani allegations that TTP attacks are occurring with the approval of Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, stating that it is a complex issue. He noted that the issue currently dominates Pakistan’s engagement with the Taliban.
The Taliban, for their part, reject allegations that they allow any group, including the TTP, to use Afghan territory to threaten the security of Pakistan or the broader region.
Meanwhile, Pakistani officials have formally shared evidence with Kabul concerning the presence of TTP leaders and fighters in Afghanistan and their use of the country as a base for launching terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
