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The deadly explosions outside the airport in Kabul reportedly killed more than 60 and wounded many more. Photo: AP

Kabul airport attack sends message to Taliban not to work with US, Chinese expert says

  • Bombings show Islamic State is taking advantage of chaos and warning the Taliban against a truce with the Americans, according to observers
  • ‘The message is that Isis-K will not give up confrontation with the US like the Taliban,’ one expert says
Afghanistan
China called on authorities in Afghanistan to ensure the safety of foreign nationals after suicide bombings at Kabul’s airport that Chinese security analysts said were an attempt by Islamic Stateto reassert itself and warn the Taliban against a truce with the United States.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that China was shocked by the explosions and condemned the attack.

“The security of Afghanistan is still complicated and grave,” Zhao said. “We hope relevant authorities can take proper measures to ensure the stable transition of Afghanistan, and protect the safety of the Afghan people and foreign nationals.”

The Chinese embassy in Kabul issued a notice urging Chinese citizens there to step up security and avoid going to the airport.

Chinese security analysts said the attacks showed that the activities of the local Islamic State branch – seen as an enemy of the Taliban – would not easily be halted, while security risks to China from the war-torn country were intensifying even if it was not specifically targeted.

02:30

At least 60 killed by explosions outside Kabul airport, Afghan health official says

At least 60 killed by explosions outside Kabul airport, Afghan health official says

Thirteen US service members including marines were among the casualties of the attacks, Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie Jnr said in Washington, while BBC and other media reported more than 60 deaths in the blasts on Thursday. Isis-K, an Afghanistan-based offshoot of extremist group Islamic State, claimed responsibility.

The attacks followed warnings by the US and other countries of potential attacks by the militant group at Hamid Karzai International Airport, where the US has been evacuating thousands of Americans, individuals from allied countries and Afghans with special visas, amid the withdrawal of American troops.

The Taliban seized power in Kabul this month after a bloody advance through Afghanistan, but has promised that the new government will not allow attacks to take place and that no one will be harmed in Afghanistan.

Yang Shu, former dean of Central Asia studies at Lanzhou University, said Isis-K was trying to show it was still influential in Afghanistan as the Taliban appeared to move closer to foreign governments.

“For Isis-K, the Taliban was supposed to be on the same page in confronting the US, but now it seems the Taliban is giving up its stance and may work with the US,” Yang said. “The message is that Isis-K will not give up confrontation with the US like the Taliban may have.”

03:47

US Army veteran helps former Afghan translator escape Taliban

US Army veteran helps former Afghan translator escape Taliban

The attacks will add complications for the Taliban, which is facing mounting calls from major powers including China and Russia to cut off ties with terror groups.

Zhao repeated that call on Friday – also mentioning the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which Beijing has blamed for past terror attacks in Xinjiang – and accused the US of hindering anti-terror cooperation.

“Over the past 20 years, some terror forces have been gathering in Afghanistan, posing a serious threat to global and regional security,” he said. “But it is regretted that the US has taken ETIM off its terror group list. China opposes the US applying a double standard in the fight against terrorism.”

04:15

Taliban, US and allies condemn Kabul airport attack as end of Afghanistan evacuation nears

Taliban, US and allies condemn Kabul airport attack as end of Afghanistan evacuation nears

Yang said the Taliban would be “facing a very difficult situation” after the attacks. “The confrontations between the Taliban and the US will intensify,” he said. “Isis-K is giving a warning to the Taliban that it has the power to do something, and that the Taliban should not have any illusion of not confronting the US.”

US President Joe Biden has already warned that further attacks on the ground in Kabul are likely, and vowed to seek revenge.

“We will hunt you down and make you pay,” he warned Isis militants, before defending his administration’s decision to continue with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan – agreed between the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump and the Taliban leadership, which controls most of the Central Asian nation.

The day’s violence was preceded by an alert on Wednesday from the US embassy in Kabul, which advised citizens to avoid travelling to the airport and said those already at the gates should leave immediately, citing unspecified “security threats”.

Zhu Yongbiao, an expert on Afghanistan issues from Lanzhou University, said the chaos resulting from the withdrawal of American troops was an opportunity for Isis-K.

What is Isis-K in Afghanistan and how dangerous is the group?

“A stable Afghanistan is not good for these extremist groups,” Zhu said. “They are making use of chaos to plot attacks. Isis-K is expanding its influence, gaining more support from other terror groups to maintain rivalry with the Taliban and maintain its status as the second-largest extremist group in Afghanistan.”

Fighters claiming allegiance to Isis-K began appearing in eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan, at the end of 2014, and the ultraradical Sunni movement soon expanded.

Daesh, as it is widely known in Afghanistan, established a reputation for extreme brutality as it fought the Taliban both for ideological reasons and for control of local smuggling and narcotics routes, according to Western intelligence services.

Sun Degang, an international affairs expert with Fudan University, said the attacks had repercussions for Beijing.

“China faces major threats to its investment and personnel safety in Afghanistan,” Sun said. “Its future participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan will be affected by the worsened situation.”

Additional reporting by Jun Mai

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Bombings ‘a message to Taliban not to work with US’
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