KABUL – The mass grave of at least nine people who were executed by theISIS militants more than a year ago has been discovered in easternNangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Provincial governor’s spokesman Atauallah Khogyani said the mass grave wasdiscovered from the vicinity of the Achin district.

He said the militants affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group abducted agroup of twelve people nearly one and half years ago executed nine of themshortly after they were kidnapped.

Khogyani further added that the mass grave of the nine hostages executed bythe ISIS militants were recovered from Mamand area of Achin on Sunday.

The anti-government armed militant and terrorist groups including the ISISterrorist group has not commented regarding the report so far.

In the meantime, reports indicate that the hostages were the local tribalelders who were rounded up by the ISIS militants on unknown charges.

Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces in the East of the countrybut the anti-government armed militants including the Taliban and ISISinsurgents have been attempting during the recent years to expand theirfoothold in some remote districts of the province.

However, the Afghan forces are regularly conducting operations togetherwith the US forces who are mainly carrying out airstrikes to root out theterrorists from this province.