Two Afghan border guards opened fire on NATO Resolute Support mission advisors at the military base in Herat province in western Afghanistan, according to reports and thedefensepost.com.

An Afghan service member was killed and another wounded, Noorullah Qaderi, Commander of the 207 Zafar Military Corps told Pajwok.

None of the foreign troops, who were traveling in a vehicle at the base, were injured. One of the attackers was killed and another taken into custody, Tolo News reported Qaderi as saying.

Resolute Support did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

On October 22, a Czech service member with the NATO mission in Afghanistan was killed in an insider attack at the Shindand airbase in Herat. It was the second “green on blue” attack in Afghanistan in less than week. Four days earlier, a bodyguard for Kandahar governor Zalmay Wesa opened fire on Afghan and U.S. officials following a high-level security meeting.

Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq and National Security Directorate provincial chief Abdulmomin Hassankhail were killed. Wesa and U.S. Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Smiley were injured.

General Scott Miller, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, attended the meeting but was not injured.

The Red Unit Commander of the Taliban group who was in charge of the group’s activities in five provinces has been killed in an operation of the Afghan Commandos in Paktika province, like reported by khaama.com.

Defense Ministry spokesman Ghafoor Ahmad Javid confirmed the killing of Bilal Zadran, the Red Unit Commander of Taliban during an operation late on Tuesday night.

Javid further added that Zadran was in charge of the Red Unit activities of Taliban in Khost, Paktika, Ghazni, Logar, and Paktika provinces.

According to Javid, Zadran had major role in planning and executing terrorist related activities in the named provinces.

The anti-government armed militant groups including Taliban have not commented regarding the report so far.

This comes as the Afghan armed forces have stepped up offensive operation against the anti-government armed militants during the recent months.

The Office of the National Security Council of Afghanistan (NSC) had earlier ordered the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) to increase raids against the Taliban militants.

According to a statement released by NSC in mid-November, the enemies of  the country have sustained heavy casualties in face to face fight and due to the sacrifices of the National Defense and Security Forces due to which the enemies have changed their fighting strategy by killing innocent civilians, a move which demonstrate their (enemies) weakness.

The statement further added that the Taliban group continues to wage an imposed war as the Afghan nation struggles with the drought and cold weather which has added in the difficulties of the people besides inflicting losses on them.

The Office of the National Security Council also added that the National Defense and Security Forces have been instructed to increase raids against the Taliban across the country in a bid to ensure the safety of the people and reduce the casualties of the security forces.

Up to 55 militants have been killed in Afghan air strikes in the militancy-battered country over the past 24 hours, officials said Tuesday.

In the latest sorties, military aircraft pounded Taliban hideouts in Aryub Zazai district of the eastern Paktia province in the wee hours of Tuesday, killing at least 13 insurgents, reported Xinhua news agency quoting an army statement.

The drone strikes, according to the statement, had also destroyed a Taliban vehicle and badly damaged their bunkers.

At least eight civilians and four National Directorate of Security (NDS) personnel were killed and an unspecified number of others were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated their explosives targeting an NDS convoy in the Paghman area in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, Reuters and Tolo News reported.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. It was unclear from reports whether the suicide bomber was on foot or detonated a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED).

At least, eight militants were killed as fighter aircraft pounded a Taliban hideout outside Tirin Kot, the capital of southern Uruzgan province, like reported by bernama.com.

An army spokesman in the southern region, Ahmad Sadeq Eisa said Wednesday the air raids were conducted late Tuesday night against the Taliban hideout outside provincial capital Tirin Kot.

Xinhua news agency said besides killing eight militants on the spot, the air raids also injured four others.

Malaysian police said on Monday (Dec 10) that they have thwarted terror plots with the arrests of six men and a woman with militant links in a four-state swoop, like reported by straitstimes.com.

Police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the suspects – five Malaysians and two Filipinos – were arrested in Kelantan, Sabah, Selangor and Kedah by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division.

Those arrested include a honey seller in Kelantan, an oil and gas engineer in Kajang, Selangor, and three people in Sabah linked to the Abu Sayyaf Group.

A man working at a driving school in Kelantan had also allegedly received orders from Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to attack non-Muslims and their places of worship, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) said.

“They were arrested in various operations held from Nov 19 until Nov 28. We are actively taking action against suspected terror elements,” IGP Fuzi said in a statement.

The police chief said the first arrest was made on a 28-year-old Malaysian man in Kelantan on Nov 19.

Akel is the main Malaysian militant leader recruiting people for the ISIS war in Syria.

The next arrest was of a 52-year-old Malaysian man on Nov 20 in Kajang, Selangor. The man was working as an oil and gas engineer and had channelled RM14,000 (S$4,600) in funds meant for terror operations to Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi in 2016 and 2017.

Muhammad Wanndy, a Malaysian ISIS militant, was killed in Syria in April 2017, and his role as main recruiter was taken over by Akel.

Mr Fuzi said police also arrested a 45-year-old Filipino member of Abu Sayyaf in Tawau, Sabah, on Nov 21.

“We believe he was involved in at least three kidnap for ransom incidents in southern Philippines and Sabah,” he said, adding that the suspect is also wanted for crimes in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

A 35-year-old Malaysian man, who was working at a driving school in Kota Baru, Kelantan, was the next man arrested on Nov 21.

“He had received orders from ISIS leaders to launch attacks on non-Muslims and their places of worship,” the IGP said.

Police then picked up a 26-year-old Malaysian man, who is a factory van driver in Bedong, Kedah, on Nov 22.

“We believe he had given funds to Jemaah Ansharut Dauliah, a pro-ISIS terror group in Indonesia. The group was responsible for an attack on a police station in Jawa Tengah in April, 2017,” said Mr Fuzi.

The country’s top cop said the last in the series of arrests was a married couple in Tenom, Sabah, on Nov 28.

“We believe they have been withholding information on Abu Sayyaf Group members in Sabah,” said the police chief.

A commander of the Taliban group Mullah Nusrat was killed with his eleven fighters in northern Faryab province of Afghanistan, the Afghan military said according to khaama.com.

According to a statement released by 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan Military, a clash broke out between the Afghan armed forces and Taliban militants in Hab Baza area of Dawlatbad district.

The statement further added that 12 Taliban militants, including their local commander Mullah Nusrat were killed during the clash.

According to 209th Shaheen Corps, at least fifteen others including one of their commanders Mullah Musa were wounded during the clash with the armed forces.

The Afghan forces also confiscated some weapons belonging to Taliban following the clash, the 209th Shaheen Corps said, adding that security personnel and local residents did not suffer casualties during the clash.

The anti-government armed militant groups including Taliban have not commented regarding the report so far.

Faryab is among the relatively volatile provinces in North of Afghanistan where the Taliban militants and other groups are actively operating in some of its districts and often carry out terrorist related activities.

At least 20 Daesh militants were killed in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar overnight as security forces continued in mopping-up operations, Xinhua news agency reported authorities as saying, according to bernama.com.

In one incident, 17 militants including two divisional commanders of the outfit were killed after the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the country’s primary intelligence agency, attacked their hideouts in Haska Mina district, the provincial government said in a statement.

Six militants’ defence positions and hideouts together with amount of weapons and ammunition were also destroyed by security forces, the statement added.

The Afghan Military in the Southeast claims at least 40 Pakistani Taliban militants have been killed during the operations of the Afghan forces and coalition airstrikes in Ghazni province, like reported by khaama.com.

The 203rd Thunder Corps in a statement said the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and coalition forces conducted operations and airstrikes in Nawa, Khogyani, and Gilan districts.

The statement further added that at least 72 militants have been killed during the operations, including around 40 Pakistani Taliban militants.

According to 203rd Thunder Corps, at least 2 militants were also wounded and at least 17 others were arrested during the same operations.

A commander of the Taliban identified as Jabar is among those killed, the 203rd Thunder Corps said, adding that 18 motorcycles and around 45 vehicles were also destroyed.

The anti-government armed militant groups including Taliban have not commented regarding the operations so far.

In a recent peace conference in Moscow, Taliban representatives from their office in Qatar sat in front of the Russian media cameras and gave interview to a select number of Russian women journalists. It was a message of change as compared to their brutal regime and their repressive policies towards Afghan women, like reported by eurasiareview.com.

The move was calculated and strategic; it was to send a message to the world that they have changed and no more a threat to regional and global security. Question is have they really changed and cut ties with Al Qaeda and its allies? Are they really different after almost two decades of fighting? Has the Taliban movement been fundamentally transformed or they have just become really good politicians i.e. pretenders and sugarcoating themselves into a new role only to change later on once they assume power.

On the other hand – US and its NATO allies feel they are bear trapped in Afghanistan and are risk averse. They are in a rush to a graceful exit for its forces with a political cover as a successful conclusion to the Afghan war. This mindset has made them to pretend that the Afghan Taliban have changed and they are now effectively representing an insurgency against the Afghan government born out of corruption, warlordism and a lack of a broad-based government in Kabul. A mere simplification of a much more complex problem with regional and global dimensions not to mention the role they played through their haphazard and quick fix policies and their unwillingness to address the big elephant in the room which are Taliban safe havens across the border in Pakistan under the cover and support of the notorious Pakistani inter service intelligence service (ISI).

The fact of the matter remains that the Afghan Taliban have not changed and has deep ties with remnants of Al Qaeda and regional terror outfits. A fact long known to western and regional intelligence agencies. Taliban, as a group, haven’t changed in nature and its objectives. It still serves as an umbrella organization to many terrorist organisations including Al Qaeda and provide them the enabling environment to plan, train and equip for their next deadly missions in the subcontinent and beyond. Any scheme to use Taliban as a proxy force for fighting Al Qaeda and ISKP will be an exercise in futility. Taliban and its allies continue to pose security threats to the United States and its allies west. Though, what has really changed about the Taliban is their increasing legitimacy as a proxy force and gun for hire by the regional security agencies. Today – there are at least six different factions within the Taliban on the payroll of Afghan neighbors and their security establishments. Pakistan no longer controls the monopoly of control over the Taliban as a proxy force and their many shuras i.e. councils in different Pakistani cities. Taliban are effectively a rug-tag force for hire to the highest regional bidder with deep ties to organized crime in the region.

Taliban and Al Qaeda

Taliban and Al Qaeda still enjoy a cozy and intimate relationship. Taliban leaders from the Quetta shura participated in the coronation ceremony of Bin Laden son as his successor while Al Qaeda second-in-command paid his tribute and declared loyalty to both former Taliban Emir, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor and the incumbent leader of Taliban, Maulavi Haibatullah Akhund, who have both enjoyed religious and political support from Al Qaeda leader. Furthermore, Al Qaeda leader, Ayman Al Zawahiri, has sent from time to time delegations to mediate inbetween Taliban leaders when differences emerged between different faction within the Taliban on matters related to leadership succession, logistics, war and peace. Al Qaeda have also used its network of fundraisers in the Gulf countries to raise funds for the “Taliban jihad” in Afghanistan.

After 9/11, President Bush before announcing global war on terror and operation enduring freedom laid out three conditions for the Taliban regime to remain in power: cut ties with Al Qaeda, hand over Osama Bin Laden and respect human rights. Almost two decades later, Taliban leaders continue to receive advice, financial support albeit meager and host Al Qaeda second in command Ayman Al Zawahiri; Osama bin Laden was not handed over and lived under the protection of Taliban and their Pakistani sponsors until the job was done by American NAVY SEALS and finally Taliban continue to violate human rights en mass and provide sanctuary to regional terror outfits such as ETIM, AL QAEDA, ETIM, LeT and the likes. Taliban to date remain a credible security threat to the region and the world at large. Those who legitimise this group as merely an insurgent group with no ambitions beyond Afghanistan should simply look at their brothers in arms in different battles i.e. Punjabis, Arabs, Uzbeks, Uighurs and the likes. Today one third of the battled field manpower of Taliban consist of foreign fighters who fight under the command and rank of Taliban in various battled fields across Afghanistan. Question is why term them an insurgency and provide them with political cover and sugarcoating two decades later on?

The United States toppled the Taliban regime because it hosted and provided the enablers for Osama Bin Laden and his lieutenants who carried out the tragic attacks of September 11 not because they were running a reign of terror on Afghans. How come this same yesteryears terror group have turned into an insurgent group fighting for an internal cause? The truth is that the Taliban have neither changed in nature nor in objectives. It is still serving as an umbrella organisation and incubator of various terrorist groups. It has not shown neither in word nor in action that it has denounced Al Qaeda and cut its ties with all terrorist organisations. Any other portrayal of this group is pure myth and political convenience.

Taliban and ISKP

The formula of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” does not hold truth when it comes to using Taliban as a proxy force to fight Islamic State off shoot in the AfPak region. While the approach and organisation of the two groups may be different but essentially the Taliban movement share the same religious ideology and world view as IS. ISKP is a mixture of disenchanted Taliban and various jihadi groups members with a flavor of various regional intelligence projects. Taliban have never fought ISKP groups in any part of Afghanistan in a meaningful way. More often than not, Taliban operations against ISKP were retaliatory in nature or based on orders from Iranian revolutionary guard, Russian KGB or the Pakistani ISI for clearance operations along Afghan Iranian and Afghan Pakistani borders. Taliban to date lack a coherent anti-Daesh campaign whereas Afghan forces have killed more three ISKP emirs, dozens of its deputies and mid ranking commanders.

In fact, Taliban have pooled resources and joined hands with ISKP in certain parts of Afghanistan especially in the north and northeastern part of the country to fight Afghan forces. While they have fought each other over resources, territory and population centers in eastern and southern Afghanistan. There is also a close relationships between the Haqqani, Taliban’s fighting arm and ISKP, almost an alliance since a close member of the Haqqani family is considered to be one of the founders of ISKP branch in AfPak area.

Taliban and Regional Terrorist Outfits

Taliban movement continue to serve as an umbrella organisation for regional terrorist groups from Pakistan i.e. LeT, JeM, Sepah e Sahaba and the likes; Arab -mercenary fighters from Libya, Iraq and Syria; Central Asia – IMU, Ansarullah, Jundullah; China – ETIM; Russian – various Chechen groups. These groups bring critical skill set and resources to the Taliban leadership and battlefield such as explosive making, effective command and control and above all extortion through organised crime. One third of the strength of the Taliban fighters in various battlefields are foreign fighters from a mixture of these groups. This was the exact case when the Taliban regime was in power in 1990s and they used these groups in their battles against the former recognised government of Afghanistan led by former President Burhannuddin Rabbani.

Today – Pakistani, Arab, Central Asian, Russia and Chinese terrorist groups who are fighting in Afghanistan provide critical skill sets i.e. command and control, explosives and bomb making in their fights against US, NATO and Afghan forces. On the contrast, the foreign fighters are merely transit fighters many of whom will jump to the first opportunity of waging jihad and attacking targets in their countries of origin with the exception of Pakistani fighters who are almost state sanctioned fighters.

The Cost of Taliban Returning to Power in Afghanistan

Taliban have not yet demonstrated in word or action that they have cut ties with Al Qaeda; no longer serve as an umbrella and incubator to regional and global terrorist organisations such as IMU, ETIM, LeT, Sepah and the likes and will not serve as another Hezbollah type proxy group to Russia and Iran. Therefore, any effort of legitimisation of this group as an indigenous insurgent group with no agenda beyond Afghan borders is an exercise in futile because their return to power will embolden their terrorist allies and enforce their conservative Islamic view of the world. This essentially means we are back to zero and all the sacrifices of US, NATO and Afghans in blood and treasure were in vein. To avoid such a scenario, the United States together with Afghan neighbors to reach consensus on three major points: a. Taliban movement should publicly cut ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist group and shun away their fighters from their ranks. b. Under military pressure bow down to a political settlement. c. provide guarantees it won’t serve as an armed proxy group for regional players including Iran and Russia.

Any measure short of these actions will only lead to an emboldened Islamic terrorist groups, resurgence of Al Qaeda, higher level of threats to US and its western allies and a possible civil war in Afghanistan with the current Afghan government and security forces in disarray and a party to it. Time and credible action is of essence here.