Russia is ready to help Taliban fight the Afghan wing of the Islamic State, known Asis-K, the envoy of President Vladimir Putin to Afghanistan said State media Friday.
Zamir Kabulov, a special representative of Putin, told the state agency Ria Novosti that the Kremlin “sees and appreciates” the fight of the Taliban authorities against ISIS-K.
“This group, who professes from the ultra radical ideology of the global jihad, is a common enemy for Russia and Afghanistan,” he said.
“We will provide all possible assists to the authorities of this country through specialized structures,” Kabulov said.
ISIS-K say Responsibility of the March 2024 attack in a Moscow concert place that killed 145 people. In the months that followed, Putin referred To the Taliban as the “ally” of Russia in the fight against terrorism.
Russia has constantly built ties with the Taliban since its return to power in 2021 after the withdrawal of the American forces of Afghanistan.
On April 17, the Supreme Court of Russia eliminated the Taliban from its list of designated terrorist organizations, where it had been included in the list since 2003.
The measure, which stopped formally recognizing the Taliban government, reflects the change of Kremlin towards the new regional alliances after its invasion of Ukraine tense ties with traditional partners.
Several Russian officials have also asked the West to lift the sanctions against the Islamist group.
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union fought a decade war in the country, a conflict that saw the emergence of Mujahideen’s resistance fighters, many of whom became Taliban leaders. Historians cite war have contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
