Moscow concerned over worsening security in Afghanistan — diplomat

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Moscow is seriously alarmed by reports on a truce concluded between the previously warring Taliban and the Afghan wing of the Islamic State terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia), Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, we note the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan in the past few weeks," the spokeswoman said.

"The largest concern is caused by the developments in the southern Helmand province. Over 90% of the territory is controlled by the Taliban militants," she said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, the Taliban militants "are now on the approaches to the administrative center."

"A complex situation persists in the province of Takhar in the country’s east," the Russian diplomat said.

"The IS militants entrenched there are able to effectively counter the Afghan army and US special forces," she added.

Besides, a difficult situation persists in the north of Afghanistan, the Russian diplomat said.

"Taliban militants are carrying out offensive operations in the provinces of Baghlan and Kunduz and making attempts to cross the Afghan-Turkmen border from the territory of the provinces of Faryab and Badghis," the Russian diplomat said.

"Amid the expanding geographical activity of extremists in Afghanistan, great concern is caused by the reports that the previously warring Taliban group and the Afghan branch of the IS concluded a truce," the Russian diplomat said.

"The exacerbation of the relations between President Ashraf Ghani and Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah may become a new factor of destabilization in the social and political situation in Afghanistan," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.