Washington DC: U.S. Congressman Bill Huizenga warned on Friday that Afghanistan has again become a "safe haven for terrorist groups," posing a growing threat to South and Central Asia and beyond, Khaama Press reported.
Speaking at a hearing titled "Assessing the Terrorist Threat Landscape in South and Central Asia and Exploring Opportunities for Cooperation", Huizenga emphasised that the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan significantly shifted the regional security balance. He blamed the Biden administration's exit strategy for allowing terrorist networks to regroup under Taliban control, as reported by Khaama Press.
He specifically expressed concern over the growing activities of groups like ISIS-Khorasan and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Citing Pakistan's recent surge in violence, he noted a rise in deadly attacks, including the recent assault in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which he saw as evidence of ongoing insurgency in the region, according to reports in Khama Press.
Huizenga recalled the 2021 ISIS-Khorasan suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 civilians. He said one of his own constituents was injured in that attack and warned that the group has since expanded its capabilities and reach, targeting both civilians and Taliban officials.
While acknowledging some recent U.S.-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation--including the capture and extradition of a key ISIS-K figure involved in the Kabul bombing--Huizenga warned that Pakistan remains unstable. He cited 2024 as one of the most violent years in the country in over a decade, pointing to attacks by TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army, Khama Press reported.
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