Islamic State Stronger Today In Afghanistan After US Withdrawal - CENTCOM Chief

The Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia) has a stronger presence in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal in 2021, US Central Command (CENTCOM) head Gen. Michael Kurilla said during a congressional hearing on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) The Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia) has a stronger presence in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal in 2021, US Central Command (CENTCOM) head Gen. Michael Kurilla said during a congressional hearing on Thursday.

"ISIS (Islamic State) is stronger today in Afghanistan," Kurilla told the US House Armed Services Committee.

The United States is trying to increase its intelligence collection capability inside of Afghanistan by increasing signals, cyber and human intelligence gathering capabilities, Kurilla said.

The United States expects to be able to deploy drones in Afghanistan as early as May, capable of flying for days or weeks to gather images and signals intelligence as well as video.

The Taliban (under UN sanctions for terrorism) took power in Afghanistan in August of 2021, triggering the collapse of the US-backed government and accelerating the United States' troop pullout. On August 31, 2021, US forces completed their withdrawal from the country, ending the 20-year-long military presence there.

The withdrawal featured images of utter chaos at the Kabul airport and beyond with experts comparing the images to the fall of Saigon. The situation resulted in thousands of stranded Afghan allies and Americans left behind, a Taliban terror attack that left 13 US troops and 170 Afghan civilians dead and a retaliatory US strike that mistakenly killed an innocent family.