Putin: Risk of Afghan militants infiltration to CSTO concerning

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Nov 2022 19:44
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President Putin said that Russia will contribute to stabilization efforts in Afghanistan, aiming to avert the possible infiltration of armed militant groups into CSTO territory.

Situation in Afghanistan Difficult, High Risk of Militant Infiltration

At a meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the situation in Afghanistan remains highly concerning and that the threat of a potential infiltration of militants into the CSTO territory is high.

"I share the concern of colleagues who have spoken out about the situation in Afghanistan. It remains, of course, difficult. The threat of infiltration of militants of various international terrorist organizations into the territory of the CSTO countries is still high, and the spread of extremist ideology among the population of Central Asian countries increases the risk of activation of the radical structures in the region," Putin said at the CSTO summit in Yerevan.

The Russian leader further added that Russia will contribute to stabilization efforts in Afghanistan.

The situation in Afghanistan remains difficult, there is a high probability of infiltration of militants into the territory of the CSTO countries - Putin pic.twitter.com/uAoz9cyTtf
— SpriterInfo (@SpriterInfo1) November 23, 2022

"We will promote stabilization in Afghanistan within the framework of other multilateral mechanisms," he said, adding that a week ago, a meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan had been held in Moscow with the participation of China, Pakistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Of course, these talks were in no way intended to initiate an unwarranted intervention in Afghanistan.

They are particularly aimed to assist Afghanistan in finding solutions to enhance the country's national security, especially in the country’s fight against terrorism and measures to form an inclusive government.

"The priority task at this stage is to ensure the formation of a truly inclusive Afghan government, which will include representatives of all ethnic groups," the president said.

Vladimir Putin participates in a narrow format meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council. pic.twitter.com/Qu8f9UnAyX
— SpriterInfo (@SpriterInfo1) November 23, 2022

Putin further promised to keep the leaders of the CSTO countries with the most up-to-date information about the situation related to the events in Ukraine.

"Dear colleagues, I will present to you separately the information on the situation related to the events in Ukraine," he said.

Over the last five decades, the great and small powers of this world have made a hell of Afghanistan.

But the US and the UK have undoubtedly been the greatest contributors to fomenting terrorist activity in the country.

The US has sacrificed the Afghan people as many times as it has needed for 40 years: as disposable beings in the cold war against the USSR, then abandoned in the black hole of the Afghan civil war; then during the US military occupation and its regime of local warlords, mafias and opium landowners, and finally, again the Afghan people were thrown into the Taliban vacuum.

The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August of last year after an incredibly chaotic withdrawal of US troops and the end of the US occupation of the country.

Since reclaiming power in the country in August 2021, the Taliban movement has been battling a local chapter of IS-K, which is believed to be responsible for the majority of terrorist attacks and bomb explosions in Afghanistan.

The presence of IS-K in the country is minimal, and the movement has been working to eliminate the group, according to the Taliban.

Clashes erupted between Taliban militants and IS-K militants in early August in the country's capital.

On September 5, ISIS claimed responsibility for a fatal terrorist attack that took place near the Russian embassy in Kabul on Monday, Reuters reported. The attack killed six, including two embassy staffers.

Earlier today, it was reported that five people were killed and one was injured in a shooting at a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city, on Wednesday, according to media reports.