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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Local officials in Badakhshan have said that foreign and local militants are recruiting ‘jobless youth’ in the northeastern province.
More than 400 foreign and local militants are fighting against security forces in parts of the province, including Jurm district, said Gul Mohammad Bidar, the provincial deputy governor.
Radio Azadi on Tuesday quoted Mr. Bidar, as saying that a number of rebels have shifted their families to the province.
Badakhshan has witnessed heavy clashes between rebels and the security forces in past months. Earlier this month, at least 33 troops were killed, wounded or went missing in a heavy fighting between militants and security forces in Jurm district.
Quoted by Bokhdi News Agency, the provincial police chief, General Baba Jan, said a number of officials, including the head of Badakhshan provincial council, are cooperating with the Taliban militants. He said a number of the Taliban rebels who were arrested by police have been released after meddling by tribal elders in Jurm district.
However, the allegations were rejected by the provincial council office in Badakhshan, as he called on the police chief to bring documents about his claim.
The deputy governor also said that presence of foreign fighters in Badakhshan is a serious threat to northern provinces including Takhar, Kunduz, Samangan, Balkh, Jawzjan and Faryab, and even it will threat Central Asian countries.
According to him, foreign fighters in the province are Chinese, Uzbek, Kazak, Tajik, and Kyrgyz nationals which are more brutal and heinous.
He asked the government to eliminate the rebels as soon as possible. He said that militants travel to Pakistan through areas along the Durand Line, while using illegal and impassable ways.
In the meantime, head of provincial council in Badakhshan, BdullahNajiNazari, has said that the construction of the Silk Road and connecting Afghanistan with China, Central Asian and a number of other countries is not acceptable for a number of regional countries.
He added that the Silk Road and the strategic location of Badakhshan which shares border with China and Tajikistan has resulted in meddling of Pakistan as it uses militants and invests on them to insecure parts of the province.
He said Pakistan has never been in favor of connecting Afghanistan with China through the Silk Road.
