United Nations experts recently issued a stark warning, stating that the rapid expansion of the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) in Afghanistan poses a significant threat not only to regional stability but also to Western countries such as the United States and Europe.
New York: The continuously growing influence of the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) terrorist organization, active in Afghanistan, is now emerging as a serious threat to the United States, Europe, and regional stability. United Nations (UN) experts expressed grave concern about this in their report submitted to the Security Council on July 30.
According to the report, Afghanistan is once again becoming a safe haven for global terrorists, from where radical activities are being operated and spread. Experts have clarified that IS-K's international ambitions and its propaganda network are becoming capable of inciting global terrorism.
IS-K's Growing Grip on Online Platforms
The United Nations report states that IS-K is now making intensive use of digital mediums. It is carrying out the work of recruiting, training, and radicalizing new terrorists through social media and encrypted platforms. According to experts, IS-K's online presence has become so b that it can turn disgruntled youth in any part of the world towards radical ideology. The report states that youth affected by the Gaza-Israel conflict are also falling prey to IS-K's propaganda.
The report warns that Afghanistan has become a safe haven for IS-K after the Taliban's takeover. Experts have also said that foreign terrorist fighters returning to Afghanistan and Central Asia could further aggravate this situation. The presence of these terrorists not only threatens regional stability but could also strengthen international terrorist networks again. A report by Khaama Press stated that IS-K is now openly threatening to target the United States and its citizens.
Why is this a threat to Europe and America?
According to United Nations officials and global security analysts, IS-K's strategy is now shifting from local to global. The organization's aim is not only to carry out attacks in Afghanistan or Central Asia, but to spread terror internationally. IS-K's network expansion, ideology dissemination, and propaganda campaigns have particularly worried the United States and European countries.
US intelligence agencies recently warned that Afghanistan could become a new launchpad for IS-K, increasing the risk of terrorist attacks in Western countries.
Questions on the Global Security Mechanism
This United Nations report has also raised questions about the international security mechanism. The lack of control in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power, the weakness of law and order there, and the instability of the security mechanism are being exploited by organizations like IS-K. Experts say that if this is not controlled soon, IS-K's activities in the coming months could surpass even the era of Syria and Iraq.
