KABUL: The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander General John Campbell has said that Daish was growing rapidly in the war torn Afghanistan.
He said that Supporters of Daish in Afghanistan are attempting to establish a regional base in the eastern city of Jalalabad,
Afghan media quoted General Campbell as saying that “foreign fighters” from Syria and Iraq had joined Afghans who had declared loyalty to the group in the eastern province of Nangarhar, bordering Pakistan.
He said there were also “indications” that Daish supporters in Nangarhar were trying to consolidate links with the group’s leadership in Syria and Iraq.
Afghan officials have said that Daish supporters control a number of border districts in Nangarhar and have a presence in some other southern provinces, including Zabul and Ghazni.
Until now, however, it was unclear whether loyalists in Afghanistan had institutional links to the group’s leadership.
Many of those who had declared allegiance to Daish were “disenfranchised Taliban” from both sides of the border, Campbell said. But, he added, “they’ve been reaching out. I’m sure there are folks who have come from Syria and Iraq – I couldn’t tell you how many but there are indications of some foreign fighters coming in there.
During the summer months, Taliban and Daish loyalists fought fierce battles in the far eastern districts of Nangarhar, with residents reporting a range of atrocities, including arbitrary imprisonment, forced marriages for young women, and beheadings.
