181: The Taliban again deny that Al Qaeda is an ally in Afghanistan. @ThomasJoscelyn @BillRoggio @FDD
Image: Regional security risks and levels of opium poppy cultivation in 2007–2008. Public domain. United Nations Department of Safety and Security . Taliban again denies Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan (https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.longwarjournal.org%2Farchives%2F2020%2F07%2Ftaliban-again-denies-al-qaeda-is-in-afghanistan.php&data=02%7C01%7C%7C8b4d74b3ff3947857cdc08d826a24dfd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637301825812557821&sdata=%2FbRyIjq9tbmEuCMl6%2FElM%2B3NH%2B4%2B8KZzHXaxfH%2F0L2M%3D&reserved=0) This time, the Taliban denied a Department of Defense report that Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent cooperates with the Taliban by claiming AQIS isn't inside the country. Uzbek jihadist group claims capture of Afghan militiamen (https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.longwarjournal.org%2Farchives%2F2020%2F07%2Fuzbek-jihadist-group-claims-capture-of-afghan-militiamen.php&data=02%7C01%7C%7C8b4d74b3ff3947857cdc08d826a24dfd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637301825812567816&sdata=%2FqMVZuglRggo5wHtW7ULkB18no2n8RjtvyrJvW1bEYw%3D&reserved=0) Katibat Imam al-Bukhari, a Taliban-loyal Uzbek group that operates in both Afghanistan and Syria, again promotes its Afghanistan operations. This comes as the Taliban has attempted to deny the presence of foreign fighters inside the country.