Afghanistan sees rise in terror threats amid current challenges

With the Afghan security forces facing stiff challenges by Taliban offensives, the political deputy of foreign ministry says that terrorist threats are in rise in Afghanistan and the insurgent groups will be more active in the coming year.

“The heart of Asia is facing many challenges and efforts have been weakened for creating a stable region,” said Hekmat Khalil Karzai, political deputy of foreign ministry.

Concerns expressed over serious terrorist threats at the session of technical group for building trust and fighting against terrorism in Kabul.

UN Special Representative Nicholas Haysom has also voiced concern over the new activities of the extremist groups in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan still faces detriorate security situation and the presence of terrorist groups. It is expected that these groups to be more active in the upcoming season. Efforts and cooperation of regional countries are need for solving this issue,” said UN Special Representative Nicholas Haysom.

As the United States tries to wind down its military participation in Afghanistan’s counterinsurgency after more than a decade of struggles against Taliban, Afghanistan’s future remains precarious at best.

The 2015 fighting season between the Taliban and Afghan security forces turned out to be the bloodiest on record since 2001.

Insecurity has significantly increased throughout the country, civilian deaths have shot up, and the Afghan security forces are taking large, and potentially unsustainable, casualties.

In sum, the 2016 fighting season will be very important. It will crucially shape the morale and staying capacity of the ANSF and the Taliban, the commitment of outside donors to persevere in the Afghanistan state-building project, and the perceptions of Pakistan, India, and other regional countries on the viability of the Afghan state and the existing political arrangements in the country.