SINGAPORE, Sep 10 (CNA) - Many security agencies are concerned that the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan could lead to more terrorism in the region, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Friday (Sep 10).

This is because Afghanistan had, under the previous Taliban regime, provided a safe haven for potential terrorists from Southeast Asia, including from Singapore, he said.

"If you ask what do would-be terrorists need or what helps would-be terrorists go out and do bad things: A safe haven, a place where they can train, a place where their minds can be hardened and radicalised even more," Mr Shanmugam told reporters ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"And previously, what happened with ISIS and Al-Qaeda was that there were such safe havens. Afghanistan provided a safe haven for training persons from Southeast Asia, including from Singapore; and it provided a safe haven for training, access to weapons, people become hardened because there's training on fighting, and that makes it very dangerous."

He added: "Will that happen again? A lot of people fear that. I fear that that might happen again. So yes, I think the prospect of increased terrorism in the region, I think many security agencies and serious people are concerned about it."

Foreign countries had on Wednesday greeted the makeup of the new government in Afghanistan with caution and dismay after the Taliban appointed hardline veteran figures to top positions.

The new acting Cabinet includes former detainees of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, while the interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is wanted by the United States on terrorism charges and carries a reward of US$10 million.