Afghanistan Peace CampaignNatalia Gherman said that the group is actively working to recruit new members and raise funds through propaganda tactics and online campaigns.
The Executive Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee has stated that the Khorasan branch of ISIS (ISIS-K) continues to pose a significant threat to Afghanistan, Europe, and Central Asia.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Natalia Gherman said that the group is actively working to recruit new members and raise funds through propaganda tactics and online campaigns.
“ISIS-K remains a significant threat in Afghanistan and also in Europe and in Central Asia, where it actively seeks to recruit and fundraise, relying on propaganda tactics and online campaigns. ,” Gherman said.
While political analysts have differing views on the matter, some in Afghanistan describe international claims about ISIS presence as part of a negative propaganda campaign against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Political analyst Amanullah Hotaki said: “The international community has run out of excuses, so now they point to ISIS. Previously, they made similar claims about al-Qaeda. Now, they talk about ISIS. My suggestion to our own government, the Islamic Emirate, is to address issues like girls’ education, women’s rights, skilled professionals, and political disputes with the world.”
Another analyst, Abdul Nasir Shafiq, told TOLOnews: “ISIS was a quick project for Iraq and Syria, it grew fast and collapsed fast. Now, the U.S. wants to use ISIS-K to scare regional and militarily powerful countries.”
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly insisted that ISIS has been contained in Afghanistan and has dismissed previous UN Security Council member concerns over the presence of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups in the country as baseless.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, also emphasized that countries should not try to portray Afghanistan as unstable without providing concrete evidence.