Taliban asks members to refrain from recruiting, harbouring foreigners
Wednesday, 24 February 2021 (22:04 IST)
Kabul: The Taliban has asked its members to avoid recruiting or harbouring foreigners.
(FILE PHOTO)
A statement released by the militant group read “All heads and mujahedeen are directed to avoid arbitrary move to bring in foreign nationals into their ranks or harbor them.”
This development comes in the wake of Taliban being questioned for it’s commitment to cut their ties with the Al-Qaeda group.
The Islamist group warned its members that anyone who does not adhere to the dictat will be removed from their assignments, their group will be dissolved, and they will be referred to the military affairs commission for further punishment.
The Taliban has been criticised by the Afghan government and US officials for apparently maintaining ties with terror outfits, especially the Al-Qaeda. The Taliban has denied its relations with Al-Qaeda.
A high-ranking UN official Edmund Fitton-Brown had said earlier this month that Al Qaeda members are under Taliban protection. “We believe that the top leadership of al-Qaeda is still under Taliban protection,” he had said.
A report by UN monitoring team released in January this year claimed that there are presently 200 to 500 Al-Qaeda fighters across about 11 Afghan provinces.
The Taliban had committed as per the Doha agreement to cut their ties with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
The group had also vowed to reduce violence, though Afghan and US officials have said that violence remains “too high” in the country despite the ongoing efforts for peace. (UNI)
