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Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan says Taliban ‘pushes’ IS out

Dmitry Zhirnov said that movement would put more pressure on them if the US did not block Afghanistan's national assets

MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. The Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) is an enemy of the Taliban (banned in Russia), and the Taliban are "pushing" it out, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said in an interview with TASS.

"The security situation is changing. ISIS (the former name of the Islamic State - TASS) is the enemy of the Taliban, and they are pushing it out. They would probably put more pressure on them if the United States did not block Afghanistan's national assets and suffocate the country with its sanctions. The government doesn't have enough resources because of it," the diplomat said.

In early August 2021, Taliban units intensified their offensive against Afghan government forces, occupying the country's capital, Kabul, on August 15 and declaring the war over the next day. On August 31, the last US troops left Kabul airport, ending the US Army's nearly 20-year presence in Afghanistan. In early September 2021, the Taliban formed an interim government headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund.

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Foreign policy Afghanistan United States

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