In a congratulatory letter to the Taliban, terror group Al Qaeda called for the "liberation" of Kashmir, Palestine, Somalia and other "Islamic" regions. "It is time for you to prepare for the next stage of the struggle, the way for which has been paved by the victory of the defiant Afghan nation," Al Qaeda said in a statement.
“O Allah! Liberate the Levant, Somalia, Yemen, Kashmir and the rest of the Islamic lands from the clutches of the enemies of Islam. O Allah! Grant freedom to Muslim prisoners across the world,” the statement read. “We call upon the one nation that has demonstrated its liability to its religion and its ummah to unite around the blessed leadership of the Islamic Emirate—a leadership that has over the years proved its sincerity and keenness to safeguard the interest of the mass is and protect their religion, lives and wealth,” it added.
One group which is very likely to get a footing in Afghanistan, once a Taliban government is formed, is Al Qaeda. Currently, Haibatullah Akhundzada is the supreme leader of the Taliban. When Akhundzada was appointed chief of the outfit in 2016, he secured a pledge of loyalty from Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. Ideologically, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are aligned too. Also, according to analysts, IS commanders and fighters were once part of Al Qaeda or a group affiliated to Al Qaeda. And, IS leader Shahab al-Muhajir was reportedly a former mid-level Haqqani commander before defecting. Therefore, a connection between Al Qaeda, the Haqqani Network and the IS cannot be ruled out. Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan was celebrated by Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups across the globe, including Jaish-e- Mohammed and Lashkar e Taiba in India. Al Qaeda members identify themselves as Salafi jihadists.
-Inputs from PTI
