The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a short report about the terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The document outlines the major terrorist groups present in Afghanistan that are affiliated and allied with Al Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS). It also examines the relations between the groups and other actors, to include the Taliban. Some of these terrorist groups are believed to pose a threat to the U.S. homeland and American interests overseas. The Biden administration maintains that the U.S. has an over the horizon capability to address terrorist threats in Afghanistan.
The groups mentioned in this report include:
- Al Qaeda Core
- Haqqani Network
- Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
- Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)
- Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP)
- Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)
- Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM)
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Terrorist Groups in Afghanistan, Congressional Research Service, CRS IF10604, April 19, 2022.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10604