Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk
KABUL: The Daesh militant group is looking to expand its reach in Afghanistan’s north and east and has increased its recruitment activities in the country to stage an attack on the US and the western countries, The Associated Press reported, quoting some Afghan and American officials.
A US intelligence official based in Afghanistan said as
quoted by The Associated Press that a recent wave of attacks in the capital,
Kabul, is “practice runs” for even bigger attacks in Europe and the United
States.
“The bad news is their acquisition of key terrain, height concealment, where
they can have easy access to money, weapons, equipment . . .and from where they
can plan, train, stage, facilitate and expedite attacks,” said the US
intelligence official. “I think expansion of territory in eastern Afghanistan
is their number one military objective,” with the goal of eventually encircling
Jalalabad, he told Associated Press.
“This group is the most near-term threat to our homelands
from Afghanistan,” the official said on condition of anonymity to preserve his
operational security. “The IS core mandate is: You will conduct external
attacks” in the US and Europe. “That is their goal. It’s just a matter of
time,” he said. “It is very scary.”
“Daesh has not been eliminated. Daesh has expanded. The group is trying to
supply itself and move towards other districts,” said Ajmal Omar, a member of
Nangarhar provincial council in eastern Afghanistan where Daesh’s footprint
initially surfaced.
Reports say that Daesh outfits are currently operating in the eastern province
of Nangarhar and Kunar and the group occasionally engage in armed encounters
with the Afghan security forces and the Taliban offshoots. However, the battles
between Daesh and Taliban have displaced thousands in the east.
“Right now in Kunar, the right side of the road is captured by the Taliban, the
left side is controlled by Daesh and the government is in the middle,” said
Farmanullah Shirzad, a resident of Kunar, who is displaced now due to
conflicts.
“When they began operating in Afghanistan, they were maybe 150 Daesh members,
but today, there are thousands and thousands,” he said.
“Daesh has brought nothing for Afghanistan except destruction. We in the system
of Afghanistan will prevent the activities of this group,” said Safiullah
Amarkhel, Nangarhar police commander.
Based on the statistics of Afghan security agencies, hundreds of Daesh fighters
have been killed as a result of special operations and air strikes over the
past two years.
But there are serious concerns that recruitment among Chechen, Uzbek,
Bangladesh, Indian and Chinese nationals could further empower Daesh’s war
machine.
“Daesh has announced its presence in Qosh Tapa of Jawzjan and some of its
fighters have gone there from Faryab. Those who are alongside Daesh in these
areas said to be with Daesh mastermind Aminuddin who is present in
Dasht-e-Archi of Kunduz. The threat is serious,” Faryab governor Naqibullah
Fayiq said.
