Situation in Afghanistan not easy, terrorists entering from Syria, Iraq, says Putin

Acknowledging that the situation is not easy in Afghanistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said that battle-hardened terrorists were entering the strife-torn country from Syria and Iraq.

He made the remarks in a virtual conference of the security service chiefs of the ex-soviet states, reported Khaama Press.

Putin was referring to Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists who have not been taken seriously by the Taliban.

The former is believed not to be a big threat to the de-facto government in Afghanistan because the group-ISIS-K- does not have international or regional support, reported Khaama Press.

Last Friday, the deadly blast ripped through Sayed Abad Mosque in northern Afghanistan's Kunduz as local residents attended the mosque for Friday prayer.

More than 100 people were killed in the attack while several were injured.

Islamic State Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K had claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on the Shia mosque. It was the group's deadliest strike since the suicide bombing at the international airport in Kabul on August 26 that killed about 170 civilians and 13 US troops

As per Putin they might destabilise the situation in the neighbouring countries and might even seek direct expansion, reported Khaama Press.

In the meantime, the Taliban has repeatedly said that there will not be any threat posed from their soil to any country.

The statements of the Russian president come as Moscow is preparing to host an international conference and the Taliban will also be invited. The international talks are due to take place on October 20, reported Khaama Press.

( With inputs from ANI )