KABUL – Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Monday said that big attacks inthe cities are being conducted by Haqqani network under the name of Daesh.

“For the purpose of provoking Iran and Russia to support Taliban, they(Haqqani Network) are carrying out the attacks under the name of Daesh,”said the ministry’s spokesman Dawlat Waziri.

Waziri said the Taliban are carrying out all the attacks and clashes inorder to attract aid from Russia and Iran.

“The big and grave attacks are carried out by the Haqqani Network,” saidHazrat Ali a parliament member.

This comes as concern mounts over Daesh’s growing footprint in parts of thecountry.

The National Unity Government’s (NUG) CEO Abdullah Abdullah said that inthe past few months Daesh has been largely suppressed in Afghanistan.

Security sources said that at the moment Daesh militants are not only inKunar province but in Nangarhar, Laghman, Nuristan and Jawzjan and arefighting security forces.

“In recent weeks, the most hits given to Daesh militants were in easternand northern Afghanistan,” said Abdullah.

A few months ago, Daesh focused on attacks on cities and in Nangarharprovince. The fight has however increased and on Sunday the group clashedwith security forces in Chawki district of Kunar province.

Sources in Kunar province said that Daesh militants came close to theChawki district governor’s building but Kunar provincial governorWahidullah Kalimzai said the Daesh fighters will be suppressed.

“They (Daesh) carried out an offensive attack, which, thankfully, wassuppressed by the government forces and uprisers,” said Kalimzai.

Security sources believe that the origins of Daesh and Taliban are from onesource and that there is no evidence that Afghanistan’s Daesh has linkswith Daesh in Iraq and Syria or take orders from them.

The presence of Daesh in Afghanistan has been a major concern for Russiaand Iran.