Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Acting Defense Minister, Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, said that Daesh and Taliban have been receiving training at military bases of Pakistan. Pointing to the ISI, Pakistan’s spy agency, he said that the foreign intelligence agency tries to push all the insurgents to Afghanistan in order to show that this is the nest of terrorism.
“Afghan security forces will soon launch a winter-offensive to eliminate all the increasing threats posed by the militants,” Ariana news quoted the acting defense minister.
His remarks came after, the US and NATO military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Campbell, said this week that the Islamic State fighters from Iraq and Syria are also entering the area and seeking to establish a regional stronghold in Nangarhar with support from local loyalists in Afghanistan. He estimated the Islamic State group has between 1,000 and 3,000 fighters in the area.
The US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Afghanistan on Friday on an unannounced trip to review the deteriorating security situation in the country.
He warned of the escalating threats of the terror groups in the country and most recently the Islamic State group known as Daesh.
He said that the IS group is trying to create little nests where they feel there is an opportunity. “Nonetheless, we have some information about the group new plans and that is really good to have information because it will allow us to make efforts on what they are doing in Nangarhar and we make sure they have no nest here,” he added.
