The acting Minister of Defense Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob began a tour of southern provinces to assess the security situation, and also challenges related to the Durand Line.
The acting Defense Minister visited the southwestern province of Nimroz three days after the forces of the Islamic Emirate and Iranian border forces engaged in an armed dispute in the Kung district of the province.
However, the Islamic Emirate said the clashes were caused by a misunderstanding.
Mullah Yaqoob visited the Kamal Khan water dam and the crossings between Afghanistan and Iran as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“In some areas small clashes happen on a local level—that is due to a misunderstanding which will be resolved by the two sides,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate. The forces of the Islamic Emirate have engaged in armed disputes with the border forces of several neighboring countries.
“If it is a small issue, there will be no impact on diplomatic and foreign affairs. If the government supported the attack, it will obviously affect the diplomatic relations,” said Sayed Bilal Fatimi, an international relations analyst.
“If our borders with Pakistan and Iran have serious tensions… the only way to solve this is a good government,” said Shaheer Nisari, an international relations analyst.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly stated it wants good relations with world countries, particularly neighbors, and has pledged that the Afghan soil will not be used against any country.
Meanwhile, the acting Minister of Defense Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid threatened to suppress those who are “creating unrest” in the country.
The acting minister and chief of army staff recently visited the northern provinces of Balkh, Faryab and Jawzjan. The visit aimed to assess the security situation.
A video circulated by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) press department on WhatsApp shows the acting minister talking to several separated large gatherings in these provinces.
“If an individual in the east or west, anyone, anywhere… anyone belonging to any (ethnic group) stands against the government, he is our opponent and we will consider him our opponent,” he said.
There are some groups trying to create insecurity in the country, Mullah Yaqoob said, without naming them.
“If anyone, who belongs to any ethnic group, or any zone or any province, seeks to divide the country, he is our enemy, he is the enemy of our country,” he said.
The chief of army staff, Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, said they will not allow anyone to create disunity among the forces of the Islamic Emirate.
“Don’t allow the enemy of the country, the enemies of Islam, to take root among you and break your command through propaganda,” he said.
After the collapse of around 350,000 former Afghan security forces and the fall of the former government, the Defense Ministry earlier announced it would form a military force of 100,000 members.
