Tehran Concerned About Spike in Terrorist Activities in Afghanistan, Foreign Ministry Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran is concerned with the increased terrorist activity in Afghanistan and has received information about the presence of the Daesh* in that country, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"We are very concerned with the growing extremism, terrorism [in Afghanistan], and its worst form is the attacks on Muslim congregants," ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, as quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency.

The spokesman also noted that the Afghan authorities were responsible for defending their citizens.

Unfortunately, we have a message about ISIS presence there, this is very concerning," Khatibzadeh added.

Last Friday, a blast hit a mosque in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, with three people reported dead and 15 injured.

In mid-August, the Taliban** entered Kabul following several weeks of making military gains that coincided with the withdrawal of foreign troops. As international troops withdrew from the country and foreign evacuations came to a close, the Taliban announced the composition of an interim cabinet, headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

**Organization is under UN sanctions over terrorist activities