Afghanistan will likely face civil war, the top US general told US media on Saturday, warning that those conditions could see the rise of terrorist outfits in the country.
“My military estimate is that the conditions are likely to develop of a civil war,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Fox News.
“I think there is at least a very good probability of a border civil war and that will then, in turn, lead to conditions that could, in fact, lead to a reconstitution of Al-Qaeda or a growth of ISIS or other terrorist groups,” he further added.
He told Fox News that he cannot predict what will happen next in the war-ravaged country. He said that there could be a resurgence of terrorism in the region within 12, 24, 36 months.
The US invaded Afghanistan and toppled the first Taliban regime in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by Al-Qaeda, which had sanctuary in the country.
Western nations are scared that Afghanistan could again become a haven for extremists bent on attacking them. The United States has said that it will maintain an “over-the-horizon” capability to strike against any threats to its security in Afghanistan.
