GHAZNI CITY: Daesh or so-called Islamic State (IS) group has circulatednight letters in southern Ghazni province, threatening residents with deathif they provided support to Taliban rivals.
The Qarabagh town chief, Saheb Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesdaythat Daesh fighters distributed the night letters on Monday night.
A copy of the night letter is available with Pajhwok Afghan News. In thebeginning, the leaflet reads ‘Afghanistanlink> Daesh’ with a black flag on it.
The group has asked people not to provide any kind of cooperation toTaliban otherwise they would be killed in a mysterious way and their bodiesthrown in front of their homes.
In another part of the letter, the militant group says “If a Talibanfighter kills a Daesh member, in return, five Taliban would be killed.”
However, the Qarabagh district chief said Daesh fighters were rarely seenin Khak-i-Afghan district of Zabul province and they didn’t exist inGhazni. “As Khak-i-Afghan borders Ghazni, the IS fighters may have migratedto Qarabagh.”
The town chief said the issue had been shared with security organs in orderto strengthen security measures.
A resident of the area, Noor Rahman, told Pajhwok: “Daesh has distributedthe night letters in many areas, ordering people not to support Taliban andinstead support them.”
He asked security officials to resolve the new emerging problem becausepeople could neither confront Daesh nor Taliban.
Meanwhile, Ghazni provincial council member Abudl Bari Shilgari said theyhad also received reports about night leaflets from Daesh in Qarabagh. “ISmilitants are trying to change people’s minds and find a foothold in areaswhere Taliban are dominant.”
Maj. Gen. Shoor Gul, 303rd Thunder Military Corps Commander, in this regardsaid there were no Daesh in Ghazni.
He said a widespread operation would be conducted in all parts of Ghazniand all areas under insurgents’ control would be retaken.
On the other hand, Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed theleaflets were not distributed by Daesh but by the National Directorate ofSecurity (NDS link>). “There are no Daesh inGhazni and if it is found here, we would resist them and eliminate them.”
Qarabagh is one of insecure districts of Ghazni, where many parts are underTaliban’s control.