The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior announced that its forces have foiled an attempted attack by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) on a ceremony marking the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power an event critics say commemorates the group’s violent seizure of Kabul in August 2021 and the collapse of Afghanistan’s elected government.
The ministry said special police units conducted a late-night operation in the Barikab area of Bagram district, Parwan province, after receiving intelligence about an imminent militant plot. The targeted gathering was part of official events celebrating the Taliban’s rule, which has been marked by widespread human rights abuses, suppression of dissent, and the exclusion of women from public life.
Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that one ISKP operative was arrested. Security forces also seized a Toyota Corolla fitted with three rockets, allegedly intended for use in the attack. Authorities have not disclosed the suspect’s identity.
ISKP, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, has staged dozens of bombings and assassinations across Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover, killing hundreds of civilians, including in schools, mosques, and markets. The extremist faction regards the Taliban as an illegitimate authority and has targeted its officials and supporters alongside religious and ethnic minorities.
Security analysts note that both ISKP and the Taliban continue to pose significant threats to stability in Afghanistan, with ordinary citizens often caught between their violence and repression. While the Taliban claims to have restored peace since 2021, the country has witnessed continued militant attacks, mass arrests, and an erosion of basic freedoms under their rule.
Bagram district, once home to the largest US military base in Afghanistan, remains strategically sensitive and has previously been used by militant factions as a staging ground for attacks. The Ministry of Interior said further operations against ISKP cells are planned, even as questions persist over the Taliban’s own human rights record and its ability to deliver lasting security.
