According to Shaheen, the Taliban fighters managed to drive IS terrorists out of their hideouts in eastern and northern Afghanistan.
The Taliban movement lost more than 2,000 fighters during hostilities against the IS militants, the official added.
"But now after the independence [after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021] we eliminated them in those areas, they are no longer there, there is no training centers or recruitment centers or fundraising centers in Afghanistan. They are in hiding, and they have taken out their centers outside Afghanistan," Shaheen said.
Militants Operating Mainly Outside Afghanistan
“There may be some of ‘Khorasan’ [militants], but you know Khorasan is not only Afghanistan, it also includes Pakistan, India, Iran, Central Asia... They are now in hiding mode outside Afghanistan and you know they are not all Afghan nationals. We are committed to fighting them and removing their presence from Afghanistan,” Shaheen added.
* banned in Russia
**under UN sanctions for terrorism