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Afghan Military Analysts have claimed that training centres of the Islamic State (IS) terror outfit are being run in Pakistan, Tolo News reported on Friday.
While Pakistani officials consistently claim that no groups such as ISIS operate within their territory, recent developments suggest that ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) still maintains safe havens and active networks in Pakistan, as per Tolo News. Security sources told TOLOnews that Nusrat, also known as Pahlawan Musa and Abu Zar, one of the key figures in ISIS-K, was recently killed in Peshawar. The assassination of a senior ISIS-K member in the city of Peshawar has once again raised questions about the group's presence and activities on the other side of the Durand Line, as per Tolo News. He reportedly played a role in planning attacks in Kabul during 2022 and 2023 and led the group's "Pahlawan" centre in Pakistan. Afghan security sources have also confirmed the arrest of an ISIS terrorist identified as Saeedullah, who admitted to receiving terrorist training in Pakistan before infiltrating Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing, Tolo News reported on Thursday. In a video released by Taliban authorities, the detained terrorist confessed that he entered Afghanistan using a fake identity card under the name "Mohammad." He further revealed that he underwent ideological and combat training in Pakistan's Quetta region. "When I entered Afghanistan with a fake ID card, my name here was Mohammad. In Quetta, when I went to the mountains, significant efforts were made to mentally indoctrinate me," the ISIS member said in the footage. The arrest has reignited regional debate over Pakistan's alleged role in harbouring and training terrorist elements. Analysts believe that the continued killing and capture of ISIS operatives on both sides of the Durand Line highlight Islamabad's complicity in fostering insecurity in Afghanistan, Tolo News reported. Sarwar Niazi, a military analyst, told Tolo News, "It's clear that Pakistan has long trained terrorist groups on its soil and sent them to neighboring countries, especially Afghanistan, to serve its interests." Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Special Envoy for Afghan Peace, also confirmed that a key ISIS-K member responsible for plotting attacks in Kabul had been killed in Peshawar. He has repeatedly called on Pakistan to stop providing a haven to this group. Some military experts say the incident highlights that the threat posed by ISIS is not confined to Afghanistan's borders but is rooted regionally. They stress that genuine regional cooperation is essential to fully eliminate the group, as per Tolo News. Aziz Maarej, a political analyst, stated: "It is a fact that Pakistan is the producer of terrorism in the region." Nisar Ahmad Sherzad, another political analyst, added: "The killing of senior ISIS leaders in Pakistan shows the country supports the group and that its training centers are located within Pakistani territory." This is not the first time reports have emerged about the presence or killing of ISIS commanders in Pakistan, as per Tolo News. Earlier, on January 22 this year, the Central Commission for Security and Clearance of Afghanistan had reported that newly recruited ISIS fighters were being transferred from Karachi and Islamabad airports to training camps in Balochistan and the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The statement claimed that these fighters were being prepared to launch attacks in regional countries, particularly Afghanistan. In recent years, several key members of the group have also been targeted in the cities of Quetta, Karachi, and Peshawar. Analysts believe ISIS activity along the Afghanistan-Pakistan crossings is the result of years of instrumental use of extremist groups in regional security policies. (ANI)
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