The top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan said Monday that recent reports indicate the Islamic State extremist group has established a foothold in Afghanistan, a view echoed by Russia which urged the Security Council to stop its expansion.
Nicholas Haysom told the council the assessment of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan is that the Islamic State group hasn't stuck "firm roots" in the country. But he said the mission is concerned because of its potential "to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally."
Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow is worried about the rise of the terrorist threat in Afghanistan and the broadening of the Islamic State group's geographical activities which are "spreading a radical Islam."
In urging council action against the expansion of the extremist group, Safronkov said Russia is worried about "increasingly frequent reports of the worsening situation in the north of Afghanistan," in areas bordering countries which were once Soviet republics and remain "our friends and allies."
He said extremists in the once quiet north are actively engaging in propaganda activities and recruiting, and are setting up camp.
