The Afghan army is conducting operations to uproot the extremist group from its territory.
The official Khaama News Agency of Afghanistan reported that 47 foreign Daesh terrorists were killed by Afghan army in Nangarhar Province. The Afghan army used its ground forces and the air force in an anti-terrorist operation named Shaheen 18. The operation began last week in the Achin district of Nangarhar. Airstrikes by the Afghan army also destroyed a hideout of Daesh militants.
Afghanistan is currently is a state of deep turmoil as it faces resurgent Taliban. However, Daesh in Afghanistan is a relatively new phenomenon which has only recently come to the foreground.
Taliban has around 60,000 armed militants that make up the core of its fighting force. The Taliban are strongest in the Southern and Eastern parts of the country. Apparently, the Taliban insurgency cannot do away with the current Afghan government; however, it does pose a serious threat to it. That is why rather than drawing down its forces, the US is sending more military reinforcements to the country.
The Middle East in a state of turmoil and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan is a nightmare for the West. Moreover, the presence of Daesh or Islamic State has only added fuel to the fire.
The first reports of Daesh in Afghanistan came to the fore in mid-2014 when the terrorist group released its map of ‘world domination.’ The map showed Afghanistan as a part of the Islamic State by the name of Islamic region of Khorasan p’, which included Afghanistan in the projected ‘Islamic region of Khorasan’. Most of the members of Daesh in Afghanistan are former Talibans.
Deash was able to gain a foothold in the country amidst deepening rift between Taliban factions after the death of Mullah Omar. A spokesman for the IS in Afghanistan said that different fighters were pledging allegiance with them all over Afghanistan. He also claimed that the days of Taliban were over.
A recent report by a British think tank has revealed that there are at least 8000 Daesh members in Afghanistan.The recruitment techniques of Daesh in Afghanistan are the same as that of the Taliban, however, their modus operandi is much more horrible. The Afghan IS has reportedly beheaded many Taliban’s besides persecuting Shias and Hazaras.
The first major Daesh suicide bombing in Afghanistan was carried out in 2015 which claimed the lives of 35 people. The attack took place in Nangarhar province. Daesh members also announced that they will unite Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan by erasing the Durand line which separated the two countries.
It had come to light that the Nangarhar province was becoming a stronghold of Daesh in Afghanistan. The extremist group was reported active in at least seven districts where it was involved in brainwashing the youth. The latest operation against Daesh was carried out by Afghan army in light of these current findings.
Apart from killing Daesh members and destroying their hideout in Nangarhar, the afghan army also seized weapons in another operation carried out in Khost. Five members of the Afghan army also lost their lives during these operations.
