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Pentagon claims ‘many terrorist groups in Afghanistan’
The Pentagon said this week that despite claims by the Islamic Emirate of Daesh having been eliminated in Afghanistan, other terrorist groups are active in the country.
Major General Pat Ryder said at a press briefing on Tuesday that “currently there are many terrorist groups in Afghanistan.”
“We are laser-focused on defending our citizens from terrorist threats that could emanate from Central Asia or anywhere else around the globe.
“We know that we can’t turn a blind eye to the threats from organizations such as ISIS-K (Daesh) and that we must keep a relentless focus on counterterrorism, counterterrorism and we’re doing that,” he said.
We’re working closely with the intelligence community, as well as to deepen our cooperation with allies and partners to address evolving threats, he said.
Asked what the difference was between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and Daesh, Ryder said “the Taliban (IEA) currently is the government in Afghanistan, and I’ll use that term loosely. And so as the so-called ruling entity in there, clearly there is a difference between that ISIS-K, but there are many other terror groups that that are resident right now in Afghanistan.”
He added that the US continues to “keep an eye on that region”.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, our focus continues to be, broadly speaking, on working with allies and partners throughout the world and to include Central Asia, as I highlighted, on Promoting Regional Security and stability and safeguarding US national security interests to include the counterterrorism efforts and nonproliferation.”
Ryder’s claims come on the heels of a statement by Afghanistan’s ministry of interior that Daesh no longer exists in the country.
In their yearly report, delivered on Tuesday, the ministry’s spokesman Abdul Maten Qani said: “We can announce to everyone that Daesh has been destroyed in Afghanistan and has no physical or pastoral activities.”
Pakistan has also claimed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is provided sanctuary in Afghanistan. However, the IEA has repeatedly denied these allegations and continues to state it will not allow any militant group to use Afghanistan to plan or carry out attacks on another country.
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
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