Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Monday, 25 January 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 27 January 2016. It was answered by Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) on Tuesday, 2 February 2016 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) security situation in Afghanistan, (b) extent of the Deash presence in Afghanistan and (c) nature of the relationship between Daesh and the Taliban.

Answer: The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) continue to provide security in the vast majority of the country, but in some parts of Afghanistan the situation is fluid as Taliban forces seek to put ANDSF under pressure. NATO and US continue to train, advise and assist the ANDSF. We assess that the Daesh affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan aims to expand its presence in Nangarhar Province in the east of Afghanistan. They are subject to military action by Afghan and US forces and they also face resistance from the Taliban with whom they are competing for influence.

Secondary information