The Uyghur separatist group had also recently released a propaganda video demonstrating their combat readiness.
According to a new UNSC report, a hundred members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement(ETIM), an Uyghur separatist group fighting for Xinjiang’s liberation, remain active in several districts of Afghanistan.
The group is active in Badakhshan, Faryab, Kabul and Nuristan Province of Afghanistan, as per the report prepared by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.
The group is also closely associated with Jamaat Ansarullah and Katiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.
The leaders of the ETIM—Abdul Haq and Hajji Furqan—and the group’s headquarters are currently located in Hustak ravine, Jurm district in Badakhshan Province. It further added that Abdul Haq often shuttles between Helmand and Badakhshan provinces.
The Uyghur separatist group had also recently released a propaganda video demonstrating their combat readiness.
The group facilitates the movement of fighters from Afghanistan to China, the report said. It noted that the ETIM active in Afghanistan is more focused on actions targeting China, while the group operating in the Syrian Arab Republic had a more global outlook.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has assured China that the Afghan territory won’t be allowed to use against them.
“Taliban views China as a friendly country and we welcome it for reconstruction and developing Afghanistan”, said Taliban Spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, adding that “If (the Chinese) have investments, of course, we will ensure their safety”.
