Al-Qaeda, allies present in 11 Afghan provinces: Atmar

KABUL (Pajhwok): Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar has said that Al-Qaeda and Taliban are involved in smuggling of heroin and other narcotics and earn millions of dollars from the illicit business annually.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) received by Pajhwok Afghan News said that Atmar made the statement in Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey on Saturday.

Atmar said that terrorists used Covid-19 pandemic situation to expand their violence and attacks and created troubles for health services in Afghanistan.

He said that despite the UNSC’s 2187 resolution that prevents entry of suspicious people for terrorist activities in countries, Al-Qaeda was present in 11 provinces of Afghanistan.

Groups like Tahrik-i-Islami of Uzbekistan, Junbish Islami of East Turkistan, Khatiba Imam Bukhari and others were also present in northern provinces of the country such as Kunduz and Faryab, he added.

He added that terrorist groups were also involved in narcotics production and smuggling for their financial ability to fund their conflicts. “Al-Qaeda is involved in smuggling of heroin and other narcotics and the group earns millions of US dollars from this business annually,” he said.

Atmar said that smuggling of drugs, weapons and people were the main source of income for the Taliban.

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