ISIS-K fighters stand ground in Afghanistan
Screenshot: New York Times
It didn’t take long for a new threat to emerge in Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban took control of the country two months ago following the United States’ departure, ISIS-K, also known as Islamic State Khorasan, has increased its attacks and presence across the Middle Eastern country, according to the New York Times.
The Taliban, an untested regime and is still setting up its government processes, has its latest problem to deal with — and has raised some eyebrows in the West as it could potentially become an international threat.
The attacks, for now at least, have been mainly aimed at the Taliban. Suicide bombings in Kabul, the capital, and other important cities have killed at least 90 people in the past several weeks, the New York Times reported. And on Tuesday, the Islamic group attacked once more, killing at least 23 people with a suicide bomb and gunman.
Since the democratic government fell in late August, Afghanistan's government is in its most vulnerable state, and after spending 20 years as an insurgency group, ISIS-K has put the pressure on the Taliban to defend itself with rural guerrilla warfare, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, last week, the Pentagon's policy chief, Colin Kahl, told senators that Afghanistan could be able to launch attacks against the United States within as few as six months.
It’s unclear whether or not the Taliban will attempt to control the threat. Kahl told senators that the Taliban is “highly motivated” to combat their “mortal enemy” but also said he’s “unsure” if the group can actually stop the group, according to DefenseOne.
Opinions are conflicting in Washington, however. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told senators in September that there was a real possibility ISIS-K or al Qaeda could rebuild within 6 to 36 months, a longer time period than the 6-to-12 months Kahl predicted, in a report to CBS News.
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