Terror Fear Spreads Ahead of 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks... "Afghan, the Las Vegas of Terrorists"

Over 10,000 Enter Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan... Absorbed into Terrorist Organizations
US Department of Homeland Security Also Warns... "Concerns Over Terror Targets with September School Term Opening"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The world is once again engulfed in terror fears following a suicide bombing at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan. With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, extremist terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS), scattered across Central Asia, are converging in Afghanistan, raising concerns about additional terrorist attacks.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 26th (local time), before and after the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, numerous terrorist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and IS from surrounding areas of Afghanistan have been continuously entering the country. Former Afghan security official Mohamed Ali pointed out in an interview with the NYT that "Afghanistan is becoming the Las Vegas for terrorists."

The NYT cited a United Nations (UN) report released in June this year, stating, "In recent months, about 10,000 armed militants from Central Asia, Russia, Pakistan, and China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have moved into Afghanistan," adding, "They have largely joined the Taliban and local Al-Qaeda, and some have joined IS-Khorasan (IS-K), the IS-affiliated group within Afghanistan."

Especially with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, led by Al-Qaeda in 2001, approaching, there are concerns about possible terrorist attacks targeting the U.S. mainland or Western countries. The U.S. political media outlet The Hill pointed out, "There is a possibility that terrorists might move to the U.S. or Western countries mixed among Afghan refugees amid ongoing evacuation operations." Even after the attack on that day, it is reported that evacuation flights carrying evacuees have been departing Kabul Airport every 40 minutes.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also announced on the 13th that it would strengthen the domestic terror alert system. In the statement, DHS warned, "With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, domestic terror threats are increasing," adding, "Especially with schools and public institutions reopening from the September semester, many events that could be easy targets for terrorism are expected to take place."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.