Afghanistan: Taliban seize two suspected international IS recruits

The Taliban is facing attacks from its rival militant group, the Islamic State or ISIS-K, since taking over Afghanistan back in August 2021. The insurgent group has recently seized two possible international recruits of the rival militant group.

The Guardian reports that the Taliban has seized two people who are suspected to be international recruits of the Islamic State group. One of them was carrying a British passport, and the other was carrying a passport of another European country. The insurgent group seized them when they attempted to slip into Afghanistan last autumn through the northern border.

Both men were found to be carrying almost $15,000 in cash, military fatigues, and night-vision goggles. A source familiar with the matter revealed that they were arrested following a tip-off to the Taliban from Uzbekistan.

A source from Uzbekistan told the outlet that both were carrying British passports when they entered the Uzbekistan capital Tashkent. However, it is not clear whether one also had a European passport that he used when slipping into the border, said the source, contradicting with the Taliban source. Both appeared to have Afghan heritage.

The seizing and arrest seem to indicate that while Western forces are no longer present in Afghanistan after almost 20 years, there is still the security threat posed by international terrorist groups within. This would also mark the first time UK nationals have been apprehended for allegedly trying to join the militant group in Afghanistan and the first case of IS’ attempted international recruitment.

A clash also recently occurred as five Pakistani soldiers were killed by militants in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack that took place at the northwestern border post in Khurram district.

This latest attack follows a ceasefire between the group and the Pakistani government that fell through in a matter of weeks. Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi said that Islamabad told the Afghan Taliban leaders that it thought of TTP as a test of its ability to control militants.

When the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan saw this as an opportunity to regain its influence and as a strategic victory over India.