The carnage in Kabul that has left nearly 100 people dead comes as a chilling reminder of the danger that the terror groups and the nations providing sanctuaries to them pose to the global community. It is as if the entire world is pitted against a bunch of ruthless killers going berserk, targeting innocent people. The suicide bombing near the airport, where thousands of people have gathered in a desperate bid to flee the country, was one of the most despicable attacks in recent times and the victims included several women and children. The dastardly act, for which the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), the Afghanistan chapter of ISIS, claimed responsibility, has left the world in a state of shock and helplessness. The worst fears among the counter-terrorism community that Afghanistan would become a fertile ground for global terrorist outfits are coming true. What makes the situation explosive is that the ISIS-K is the sworn enemy of both the Taliban and the western nations and espouses even more extreme ideology. The ISIS-K, which has Pakistani links, has become more aggressive and violent, seeking to expand its footprint. The events unfolding in war-torn Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover have raised global concerns over the impact of the heightened terror activity on regional and international security. Created six years ago by the disaffected Pakistani Taliban, the ISIS-K has carried out dozens of attacks this year. In fact, it has denounced the Taliban takeover of the country, criticising their version of Islamic rule as insufficient and superficial and the two groups have fought in recent years.
The airport attack comes as a strategic blow to both the United States and the Taliban leadership, which is trying to demonstrate to the world that it can control the country. Such a strike would bolster ISIS-K’s stature in the jihadist world. It provides a glimpse of the chaos that is in store for the war-ravaged nation. More than two decades of military action by the United States and its partners have proved futile as the terrorist organisations like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have been able to adapt and evolve into more diffuse organisations that continually seek out new global trouble spots to take root and put their violent extremism into action. Ironically, all the war on terror, led by America, gave the world more war and more terror. It is time the international community spoke against terrorism in one voice and put up a joint fight against those who nurture terror groups on their soil. Because what is true of the coronavirus pandemic is also true of terrorism: none of us is safe until all of us are safe. The scourge of terrorism affects us all.
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