The Taliban’s interim administration has dismissed a U.S. report alleging the presence of ISIS militants in Afghanistan, asserting that the group has been suppressed within the country.
On February 1, 2025, Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat refuted claims made by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) regarding the activities of ISIS, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Fitrat emphasized that expressing concerns about ISIS activities equates to a “campaign” favoring the group.
SIGAR’s latest report expressed concerns over the continued presence and activities of these militant groups in Afghanistan. Pakistan has also alleged that terrorists from the banned TTP are based in Afghanistan and conduct attacks within Pakistan, a claim that Kabul denies.
In a related development last month, Fitrat accused Islamabad of hosting ISIS militants, stating that Kabul possesses evidence indicating ISIS operations on Pakistani soil. This accusation followed remarks by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khwaja Asif, who claimed that militant groups, including TTP and Al-Qaeda, operate from Afghan territory. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, dismissed Fitrat’s allegations as “just some kind of weird propaganda.”
The Taliban’s rejection of the U.S. report underscores the ongoing tensions and mutual accusations between Afghanistan and Pakistan regarding the presence and support of militant groups in the region.
