The Taliban has issued a warning to the Islamic State group that it isn’t welcome in Afghanistan.
Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the group’s deputy leader, said in recent letter to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi that the fight “against foreign invaders” can only be directed by the Taliban, NBC News reported.
“Jihadi groups across the Muslim world are struggling for Islam and they have their own organizational structure. … If your meddling in their affairs creates division, it will cause in bloodshed within these organizations,” the letter read, NBC reported.
The letter’s publication comes just days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran has started infusing Taliban coffers with cash to counter the Islamic State group’s influence.
“Iran is betting on the re-emergence of the Taliban. They are uncertain about where Afghanistan is heading right now, so they are hedging their bets,” a Western diplomat told The Journal.
A Taliban commander named Abdullah told the newspaper that Iran “supplies us with whatever we need,” a claim Iranian officials deny.
SEE ALSO: Iran pumps Taliban with increased cash, arms to counter U.S. influence, officials say
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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