Afghan governor accuses Iran, Pakistan of Taliban aid

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

An Afghan governor has accused Iran and Pakistan of meeting and arming Taliban militants in his province.

Hayatullah Hayat, governor of restive Helmand province, said at a press conference late Sunday his allegations were based on findings made by the country’s spy agency, the National Directorate of Security.

Helmand has been the site of some fierce armed resistance by the Afghan Taliban in the last couple of years.

“A number of foreign individuals from Iran and Pakistan had come to the Garmsir district, they have been seen visiting a number of areas together with the Taliban,” Hayat said.

The governor also linked the recent intensity in attacks in the area to the arms and support allegedly provided to the militant group by Iran and Pakistan. “We have recovered at least two Iran-made rockets that were fired by the Taliban at the provincial capital Lashkargah,” he said, adding that four Pakistani militants were allegedly killed in the province by an airstrike last week.

Some local officials claim more than 100 Iranians visited Garmsir three days back, and allegedly viewed the situation on the frontlines along with the Taliban.

Attaullah Afghan, member of the Helmand provincial council, said Iran had been allegedly meddling in the region for quite some time.

“Iran has joined hands with Russia, and the two are now backing the Taliban here to keep the war raging on,” Afghan said.

In the past, Afghan officials have also claimed to have recovered Russian arms in northern Kunduz province neighboring Tajikistan.

Russia and Iran had not recognized the Taliban as legitimate rulers of Afghanistan during the militant group's rule over Kabul from 1996 to 2001.

However, last year, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Alexander Mantytskiy acknowledged contacts with the Taliban “for the safety of their diplomats”.

Last month, Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar urged Moscow and Tehran not to keep ties with such “non-state actors”.

Iran and Pakistan have so far not reacted to the accusations made by the Afghan governor.