But the overwhelming majority of attendees were Taliban officials and supporters, mostly Islamic clerics. It was believed to be his first visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban seized power. In his hour-long speech carried by state radio, Akhundzada called the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a “victory for the Muslim world.”His appearance added symbolic heft to the gathering. The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-K, has been operating since 2014. Since the Taliban takeover, IS militants have staged numerous assaults on Afghanistan’s new rulers and the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against IS in the country’s stronghold in eastern Afghanistan.

Source: thestar July 03, 2022 04:30 UTC