Pakistan Calls To Tackle IS Threat In Afghanistan To Prevent Global Spread - Army

ISLAMABAD (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2019) SLAMABAD, March 24 (Sputnik), Valentina Shvartsman - Pakistan is calling for tackling the presence of the ISLAMABAD (Pakistan Point news / Sputnik - 24th March, 2019) slamic State terrorist group (ISLAMABAD (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2019) S, ISLAMABAD (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2019) SISLAMABAD (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2019) S, banned in Russia) in Afghanistan before it escalates into a global threat, spokesman for the Pakistani Army Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor told Sputnik in an interview.

"Al Qaeda [terrorist group, banned in Russia] has been defeated. TTP [Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan] has been marginalized, disintegrated inside Afghanistan. But the greatest threat is ISIS. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan, TTP or the Afghan-based Al Qaeda were within Afghanistan. But ISIS is a global threat ... If ISIS is not handled, it will no more be a threat, which is based in Afghanistan with its implications for the region, but to the globe," Ghafoor said.

The official noted that Pakistan was taking security measures to address the threat adequately.

"[Firstly,] we are continuing to maintain presence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Secondly, we have a better surveillance system now in place, because we have fenced the border so that there cannot be a free movement from Afghanistan inside Pakistan. Than we have the electronic surveillance system, also planned to be installed alongside the fence," Ghafoor specified.

The spokesman added that Russia, which was also subject to the threat of IS presence in Afghanistan, had an important role in eliminating the terrorist group in the region.

Afghanistan is suffering from an unstable political, social and security situation due to the activity of the Taliban movement and IS. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country, including in the province of Helmand.