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Estimated 50,000 Militants in Afghanistan, Islamic State Presence Grows

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According to Russian General Staff chief, there are currently up to 50,000 militants in Afghanistan.

The Doctors Without Borders hospital is seen in flames, after explosions in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The number of militants in Afghanistan is estimated to have reached 50,000, while membership in the Islamic State (IS) extremist group shows no signs of declining, Russian General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov said Thursday.

"Currently there are up to 50,000 fighters in Afghanistan, united in over 4,000 units and groups of various kinds. Their basis is the Islamic movement of the Taliban numbering about 40,000 militants," Gerasimov said.

Speaking on the opening day of an international forum on Afghanistan organized by the Russian Defense Ministry, the General Staff chief estimated that over 3,500 people have been killed and 7,000 injured this year, representing a 25-percent increase in civilian casualties.

Afghan national army stand guard near the dead body of a Taliban attacker in front of the main prison building after an attack in Ghazni province, eastern Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 - Sputnik International
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"According to our estimates, there are from 2,000 to 3,000 Isamic State militants in Afghanistan, and their number is constantly growing," Gerasimov added.

The official said ongoing extremist activity is hindering efforts by Kabul for political and social stabilization within the country, leading to violence and an ever larger refugee population fleeing to neighboring countries and Europe.

The two-day forum on Afghanistan is taking place against the backdrop of the fight for the northern city of Kunduz, where US aerial bombing raids killed 22 staff and patients at a Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) hospital last week.

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