KABUL (TCA) — A US intelligence report indicates that Daesh (Islamic State) threats in Afghanistan will get dangerous, especially in the eastern Kunar province, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported.
According to US intelligence report, the number of Daesh’s Khorasan branch has reached over 5,000 fighters in Afghanistan.
“Newly unclassified intelligence suggests IS-Khorasan, as the group is known, is growing both in numbers and ambition, now boasting as many as 5,000 fighters — nearly five times as many as estimates from last year — while turning its focus to bigger and more spectacular attack,” reveals the US intelligence report.
“I think Daesh is a very dangerous organization. It’s dangerous again when you start talking about terrorism to the country of Afghanistan. It is very dangerous in the region. We have already seen the results of Daesh. It is dangerous to the world,” said the US and NATO Forces Commander in Afghanistan Gen. Scott Miller.
The US intelligence report says that Daesh’s Khorasan branch is active in Kabul, Nangarhar, Kunar provinces and some areas in the north of Afghanistan.
“We are aware of it, in all areas even in Nimroz province. Their activities have increased and many Daesh families were relocated to Nimroz, but the Afghan intelligence is quite weak in this respect,” said Mohammad Ibrahim Alokozai, an Afghan presidential candidate.
The head of the National Directorate of Security Masoom Stanekzai described Daesh a threat which is gripping the whole world.
“The issue of Daesh is not a small issue in the level of Afghanistan. People are being hired from Central Asia to Afghanistan and other places,” said the NDS chief.
“More worrisome according to defense intelligence officials is that the terror group has been gaining ground, both against the Afghan government and the Taliban, expanding the amount of territory under its control in Kunar province since the start of the year,” says the US defense intelligence report.
Last week, the United Nations Security Council announced that it had included Daesh’s Khorasan branch on its sanctions list.
