Cash crisis harms Taliban’s ability to curb terror

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan Taliban are losing their ability to combat the scourge of terrorism due to lack of resources, says a top official of the Russian interior ministry.

Alexander Sternik, director of third CIS countries department, said on Friday his statement was based on reports from Russia’s foreign missions.

TASS news agency quoted him as saying the Taliban had begun to lose their anti-terrorist potential because of cash shortages and a series of high-profile attacks proved that point.

Speaking at the Moscow-based MGIMO University, he said responsibility for Friday’s mosque attack in Kandahar had been been claimed by the Islamic State.

“Dozens of IS militants have been released from prisons in recent months,” he said. “You know it only too well that the agenda of these radical and extremist groups goes far beyond Afghanistan.”

PAN Monitor/mud

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