Islamic State-Khorasan’s Transition Into a Transregional Threat
The DiplomatNov 19, 2022
A suicide bombing at a Taliban military checkpoint outside the Kabul airport killed at least 14 people and wounded another 18 on Sunday, with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) claiming responsibility for the attack.
The attack targeted the military area of the airport, which is around 200 meters (219 yards) from the civilian airport and close to the Interior Ministry — which was the site of a suicide bombing last October that killed at least four.
The latest devastating bombing reminds the world that, despite some claims, the Taliban are incapable of providing security for the Afghan people. On the contrary, the ISKP's terror campaign is rampant, and the ISIS offshoot is busy infiltrating Central, South, and West Asia. By continuing to suppress Afghan ethnic and religious minorities, the Taliban regime is playing into the hands of the ISKP, contributing to the surge of local terror.
That Afghanistan would descend into chaos under the repressive Taliban regime, and thus set the stage for rampant ISKP terror, was predictable prior to the disgraceful US withdrawal from the country. Hence, there were justified calls for Washington, with NATO support, to leave some troops in the country. To prevent at least the worst humanitarian hardships for Afghans, Washington must not turn its back on the country now. The West and its institutions bear some responsibility.