By Chathushka Perera
Kabul, Afghanistan (CWBN)_ As the conflict in Afghanistan rages on, forcing the US to deploy multiple air strikes in Helmand and Wardak to deter Taliban advances, Afghan authorities reported that foreign insurgents bolstering Taliban ranks have been using drones to monitor Afghan Security Forces in Faryab Province.
It is claimed that around 200 Uzbek fighters linked to the Katiba Imam-al-Bukhari, under Taliban command in Afghanistan, have settled in the Almar, Ghormach, Pashtonkoot and Qaisar districts of the province, and are responsible for drone surveillance in support of Taliban attacks in the Sabza and Qaisar districts. The Uzbek insurgents are also responsible for multiple roadside bombings and sniper operations carried in Faryab.
The KIB, is a militant body founded in 2011, subsequent to a split from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and as per 2018 United Nations Security Council reports, was initially based in Khan-Shaykhun, Syria but later spread into Idlib, Aleppo and Khama regions. The KIB commands around 500 foreign fighters including Uzbek, Kyrgyzstani and Russian (Caucasus regions) nationals, and has strong affiliations with Al-Qaida, the Al-Nusrah Front and the Islamic State (ISIL), since 2015.
Since 2016, Afghanistan was transformed into “a new staging ground” to orchestrate attacks in Central Asia, although the Taliban-US Agreement signed by the parties earlier this year has strictly required the Taliban to cut ties with foreign insurgents.
The Afghan Government has informed the media that 356 attacks, two suicide bombings and 52 mine explosions have resulted in 52 civilian deaths and 157 other casualties, as of Saturday (24th October)
Moreover, according to an Afghan Ministry of Defence announcement made yesterday (27th October), the Taliban have orchestrated multiple attacks against government forces in 22 provinces, within a matter 24 hours, leaving many concerned over the future of the on-going peace talks in Doha, Qatar.
These developments happed around five days after Washington Post (US) and Eurasian Times reported that the US has been “secretly helping the Taliban fight ISIS” in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
