The Haqqani Network*, the most radical wing of the Taliban* and patron of terrorist organizations, is completing work on its chemical weapons
KABUL, March 4 - Sangar, Farzam Kazemi. During military operations against the former Afghan National Army (ANA), the Taliban also used chemical weapons. But the messages that are coming now are very shocking.
According to a Sangar website source, the Haqqani network develops chemical weapons that are used to destroy people and any living creatures in an underground laboratory at the American University in Kabul.
“Recently, these chemicals were tested in the mountains of Paktia on several sheep and goats. When a sheep or goat inhaled this substance, after about 15 minutes it would bleed from the mouth and nose and die in about 20-25 minutes,” the source said.
Reports of chemical laboratories of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan are not new. During the first rule of the Taliban regime (2001-2001), the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda operated a chemical weapons laboratory in Darunta, Nangarhar province. However, in 2000, an explosion occurred in the laboratory, and after the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001, work was stopped.
The chemical weapons program was revived by the Haqqani Network during the presence of the US and NATO in Afghanistan with the participation of Al-Qaeda specialists. The first infrastructure of a chemical laboratory appeared in the mountain caves of the provinces of Khost and Paktia. After the fall of the republic, these laboratories were moved to the basement of the American University in Kabul.
According to the source, the Haqqani network intends to use chemicals in BM-21 (Grad) mortar shells and jet aircraft to be used in military operations.
“The Haqqani Network has also purchased drones from the United Arab Emirates, on which it intends to install mortars and rockets filled with chemicals and use them in operations to destroy anti-Taliban forces,” the source said.
A former Afghan intelligence officer told Sangar that in 2018, the Taliban had already equipped their newly formed Red Unit, which was created and trained in Pakistan, with gas weapons.
“At that time, the Taliban “Red Division” attacked the ANA base in Baghlan province. Asphyxiating gas killed 52 officers and soldiers. But the terrorists shot officers and soldiers in the forehead in order to hide their crime and mislead public opinion. At that time and until now, no one paid and does not pay attention to this crime against humanity,” he said.
Another concern is the transfer of chemical weapons to terrorist organizations under the auspices of the Haqqani Network, such as Al-Qaeda*, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan*, the Islamic Movement of East Turkistan*, Jamaat Ansarullah*, and others, which pose a serious danger not only to Afghanistan's neighbors but and for the entire international community.
On the other hand, there is a general change in the type of future wars in Afghanistan, in which the Taliban resistance fronts should also consider providing special clothing and equipment to their soldiers so that they can protect themselves in the event of a chemical attack.
The Chemical Weapons Convention was adopted by the United Nations in 1993 and prohibits the use of such weapons worldwide. One of the pretexts for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons, which could not be found.
* The organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities
