The United States and Taliban signed a landmark deal in late February that lays the groundwork to end Afghanistan’s war.
American and other foreign forces pledged to quit Afghanistan within 14 months of the February 29 deal signing, provided the Taliban stick to several security guarantees and hold talks with the government.
On the contrary to the signed deal, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency said Wednesday it had busted a joint Islamic State-Haqqani network cell it accused of carrying out several attacks, including a deadly raid on a Sikh temple in Kabul.
A key tenet of the US-Taliban accord is that the Taliban will not allow groups like Al-Qaeda and IS-K to use Afghan soil to plan attacks against the US and its allies.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a statement that five militants were killed and eight others arrested when security forces stormed two hideouts of the group — one in Kabul and the other outside the capital.
“This joint cell of Daesh and Haqqani network had carried out major attacks in the capital, including an attack on a Sikh temple in March,” the NDS said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
At least 25 people were killed when gunmen stormed the temple in Kabul where worshipers were offering morning prayers.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State in the Khorasan (IS-K), the Afghan branch of IS.
The IS-Haqqani cell was also behind a rocket attack that targeted the swearing-in ceremony of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the intelligence agency said.
The members of the cell had also killed several Afghan officials and fired rockets at Bagram, the US military’s largest base in Afghanistan, the NDS said.
Afghan officials have long accused the Haqqani network, a US-designated terror group with ties to the Taliban, of carrying out major attacks claimed by or blamed on IS-K.
“There is undeniable evidence showing a strong link and cooperation between the Haqqani network and IS,” a senior security official said on condition of anonymity.
“They jointly plan and carry out terrorist attacks, especially in Kabul.”
