There have been twin bomb attacks and mass shootings at Kabul’s major international airport as thousands flee following the Taliban takeover
Following the attacks near the Kabul airport Thursday local time, Pentagon officials claimed that ISIS, and the terror network claimed responsibility.
Who are they?
The Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, is an enemy of Taliban.
ISIS-K is a terrorist organisation that is responsible for numerous deadly attacks in Afghanistan.
What’s their aim?
The group is an affiliate of the Islamic State group that ripped through Iraq and Syria from 2014.
ISIS-K’s objective is to set up the province of Khorasan to be a part of Islamic State’s so-called global caliphate.
Why do Taliban see them as a threat?
“ISIS-K is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, and they have a history of fighting one another,” US President Joe Biden said on Sunday.
Doctor John Coyne, who’s the head of strategic policing and law enforcement at ASPI says the attacks seen at Kabul airport “was a cowardly attack by #ISIS, attacking unarmed civilians who are already desperate and scared”
“It was obviously reasonably well planned and synchronised, which shows the capability of ISIS came this.”
So what does ISIS-k have to gain with terrorist attacks? and what has the Taliban’s reaction been?
Coyne’s understanding is that ISIS-K have actually gone through and claimed this attack, which is not really surprising.
“So interesting enough as the Taliban approached, there’s some interesting allegations coming out that as they freed prisoners from couple jail, freeing their own fighters, they also executed a number of ISK members,” he told ticker news.
Coyne says Taliban is trying to legitimately form a government.
“And I think, whilst they may despise the US government, they very much and want to take control and have this end as quickly as possible, they very much understand that it’s not in their long term interest to have terrorist attacks.”
He says that further tragedy only encourages future interference in the Taliban’s country.
“So from that perspective, I think the Taliban are cooperating as quickly as possible. They’ve set a hard date to get this over and done with and they don’t want to terror attacks, they just want the Americans out as quickly as possible. Of course, we’re, you know, our fingers crossed that this can come down in some degree, but we have no idea. If that’s taking place.”
Can we expect more attacks?
We know the US and the White House have already made comment that they’re on red alert for more attacks.
Coyne notes that what tech showed the world, is that ISIS have a capability to recon and plan attacks, and reasonably sophisticated attacks.
“They’ve got an intent to appear on the world stage. And at the moment, the biggest target on the world stage is Kabul airport, all eyes of the globe are sitting there watching that tragedy unfold.”
“So of course, it’s a pressure cooker environment, and there’s a high risk of further attacks.”
Coyne says Taliban are going to have to fight other warlords who continue to maintain pair remote areas across Afghanistan, and they’re also going to have to fight the likes of ISIS-K.
“And they’re going to have to reconcile what they will do with the future about Al Qaeda.”
