FDD’s Long War Journal reported earlier this month that the Turkistan Islamic Party released new images of its men fighting and training in Afghanistan. The Taliban, which is currently seeking to downplay the presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan, subsequently issued a statement claiming that the montage was “falsified.” That is a lie.
The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), an al Qaeda-affiliated group, has released a series of images showing a large number of fighters preparing for battle in Syria. The TIP has been a key jihadist group within the insurgency for years.
According to a recently released report by a UN Security Council monitoring team, the Taliban is the “primary partner for all foreign terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan,” including al Qaeda. The only exception is the Islamic State, which opposes the Taliban.
According to the UN’s Jan. 2019 assessment, al Qaeda’s relationship with the Taliban is “long-standing” and “strong.” And al Qaeda “continues to see Afghanistan as a safe haven for its leadership.” The UN estimates that the Islamic State has several thousand fighters in Afghanistan as well.
Ayman al Zawahiri has released another message explaining al Qaeda’s global jihad. He decries those who seek to divide the jihadists’ war according to national boundaries and argues that Muslims face a grand, international conspiracy.
China Shows Interest in Afghan Security, Fearing Taliban Would Help Separatists
China Says Wanted Militants Use Nearby Countries to Stage Attacks
China names six Uighurs on terror list
Xinjiang Doesn’t See Foreign Link in Attacks
In Video, Militant Group Claims Attacks in Western China
Pakistan link to Xinjiang attacks questioned
Uyghur militants threaten Sino-Pak ties
Mushahid for cooperation with China on war against terrorism
China Blames Foreign-Trained Separatists for Attacks in Xinjiang
China finally ready to admit Pak’s role in Xinjiang violence