The takeover of Afghanistan has created a huge challenge for the Taliban as much as for the world. Since August 15, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacks on Taliban and Afghan targets have increased sharply and so have the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks on Pakistani forces across the border. While the Taliban denies that ISKP has a “serious” presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan claims that the TTP is operating from Afghanistan. The two groups have claimed hundreds of attacks, including complex coordinated suicide and targeted attacks — all pointing to the existence of robust terrorist infrastructure in the Af-Pak region. In addition, hundreds of targeted killings of ex-Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) officers and local leaders are being blamed on the Taliban, opening the possibility of new local militias forming against the Taliban and adding to the insecurity.
