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Fight against Islamic state

Russia has no concerns that Afghanistan will resemble Islamic State — diplomat

Zamir Kabulov also called for monitoring developments in Afghanistan step-by-step because it is easy to stray away from reality "with a rich imagination"

© AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/. Russia does not think that Afghanistan under the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) will turn into a version of the Islamic State, Russia’s Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Monday.

"No, I don’t have this concern," he replied to a question on the matter. "I saw in reality the Taliban fighting ISIS (outlawed in Russia) and fighting it viciously unlike the Americans and the whole of NATO, including the Afghan leadership that fled, who did not counter ISIS and only pandered to it. Representatives of the highest Taliban leadership were telling me that they only have this to say to ISIS: there will be no captives."

The presidential envoy also called for monitoring developments in Afghanistan step-by-step because it is easy to stray away from reality "with a rich imagination." "I told you the main thing. The Taliban, as they said and I feel it too that there is a great deal of sincerity here, do not want to repeat their sad destiny for a second time," he concluded.

On Sunday, the Taliban militants entered Kabul without a fight and occupied government agencies that were abandoned by government forces. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Later, the Taliban announced that it had taken control over all districts of the Afghan capital.

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Afghanistan Islamic State

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