Alarming footage has emerged of Taliban fighters flying and posing beside both US and Russian-made military helicopters in Afghanistan. The latest footage comes after dozens of photos were released of Taliban fighters posing with sophisticated American weaponry. More videos, believed to be taken as the hard-line Islamists made their way to Kabul, showed the advancing insurgents inspecting long lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones. The stolen military gear, weapons and vehicles are estimated to be worth in excess of £13billion. “Everything that hasn’t been destroyed is the Taliban’s now,” said one US official speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, ISIS-K, a local branch of the notorious global terrorism organisation, is amassing thousands of fighters to topple the “liberal” Taliban – and they will target Westerners to do it.
Founded in 2015, ISIS-K’s aim is to establish an Islamic caliphate across Khorasan – a region covering Pakistan and Afghanistan and parts of central Asia.
Its fighters – who view the Taliban as too liberal – are thought to number up to 2,200, but this figure could rise dramatically amid political uncertainty.
There are now concerns from the Western superpowers that ISIS-K will launch a wave of terror attacks in an attempt to destabilise the Taliban’s efforts to form a government, with potential evacuees representing high profile targets.
In a statement released last night, the UK Foreign Office warned UK nationals not to travel to Kabul airport amid a rapidly escalating terrorism threat and unstable security situation.
The guidance now advises anyone in the area to “move away to a safe location and await further advice”.
Armed forces minister James Heappey described the terror threat to people outside Kabul airport as “lethal” amid concerns over an affiliate of the so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan, ISIS-K.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I can’t stress the desperation of the situation enough, the threat is credible, it is imminent, it is lethal.
“And we wouldn’t be saying this if we weren’t genuinely concerned about offering Islamic State a target.”
READ MORE: Kabul Airport attack ‘within hours’ as UK Minister warns to stay away
Australia and the US have also issued alerts, telling everyone outside the airport to leave immediately.
With the withdrawal deadline looming, August 31, the terror threat poses a serious challenge to the evacuation goals of the West.
In a statement released on Tuesday night, the US President said: “Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and allied forces and innocent civilians.”
Kabul airport is currently being held by the US military, which has 5,800 troops on the ground organising the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans at risk of being tortured or killed by the Taliban or other militant groups.
ISIS-K, who also train child soldiers known as the “cubs of the caliphates”, have carried out a string of high-profile terror attacks in their region and will be aware their window of opportunity to strike the West in Afghanistan is closing.
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