Putin’s fears of IS* militants in Afghanistan are groundless

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s concern over the presence of Islamic State* militants in northern Afghanistan is unfounded, said Anamulla Samangani, a member of the Taliban* Cultural Commission, Lenta.ru reported.

Earlier, at the Council of CIS Heads of State, speaking about the situation in Afghanistan, Putin recalled the threat posed by IS militants*. The Russian leader expressed concern that terrorists who previously fought in Iraq and Syria are now gathering in Afghanistan.

The President also stressed that there are more than two thousand of them in Afghanistan, and they are based mainly in the north of the country. And their leaders are hatching plans to influence other countries, including Russia.

* – An organization banned in Russia, recognized as a terrorist