Taliban Rejects Iran's Claim of Daesh Militants Being Transferred to Afghanistan

The Taliban has rejected Tehran's claim that Daesh militants were being "transferred" to Afghanistan from Iraq, Syria and Libya.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has meticulously fought against Daesh both during and after the end of the (US-led) occupation, neutralizing the destructive capability of the group,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the interim Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a statement on Saturday.

Balkhi called upon the Iranian authorities to share “intelligence” about Daesh militants if Tehran was in possession of any inputs.

“It is noteworthy that Afghanistan does not share a border with the mentioned Arab countries. Instead of shifting responsibility to others, countries should fulfil their international obligations regarding security of their borders,” the Taliban foreign ministry’s spokesman said.

He further reiterated the commitment that the Taliban won’t allow anyone to “threaten the national security of Afghanistan or use our territory against others.”

“The Iranian officials should rather focus on constructive economic, political and social relations between the two neighboring and friendly peoples and countries instead of raising false alarms about Afghanistan,” Balkhi said.

The statement by the Taliban comes in response to Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein Abdollahian, who reportedly said earlier this week that Daesh fighters had been moving to Afghanistan from Iraq, Syria and Libya.

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Daesh Militancy in Afghanistan

Since last year, Daesh has reportedly claimed responsibility for deadly attacks targeting Afghanistan’s Shia minority, Taliban patrols and even the diplomatic premises of foreign missions.

Last September, Daesh claimed responsibility for an attack at the Russian Embassy in Kabul, which triggered a strong condemnation from the UN Security Council.

Several regional powers, including Iran and Russia, have directly blamed the US for backing Daesh in Afghanistan.

In fact, the Iranian Foreign Minister told a conference of Afghanistan’s neighbors in Samarkand this April that the US and western allies have been “supporting and guiding Daesh and other terrorist and extremist groups in the south and north of Afghanistan.”

*The Taliban is under UN sanctions over extremism.

**Daesh (IS/ISIS/ISIL) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

Taliban Rejects Iran's Claim of Daesh Terrorists Being 'Transferred' to Afghanistan

Daesh Militancy in Afghanistan