Daesh foreign mentors recruiting Jawzjan youth

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): Some residents of northern Jawzjan province have claimed expert mentors from Sudan, Chechnya, Uzbekistan and France have been training newly-recruited members of Daesh or the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Darz Ab district.

A resident of the locality, who declined to give his name, said Daesh was expanding presence in the district after defeating the Taliban.

“Daesh plans to expand its influence as the group has sent messages to Taliban members in nearby provinces to either join them or face destruction,” he said.

Other residents said Daesh preferred recruiting teenage boys and took them to their recruitment center in Sardara village of Darz Ab district. The youth were imparted military training and the foreign trainers trained them in insurgency related warfare.

The claims of foreign trainers surface amid reports three French people, including a woman, have been encouraging youth under 18 years of age to cooperate and join Daesh militant group in the district.

Sattar, a resident of Darz Ab district, said two French men and a woman entered Sardara village last Friday at a time when people were preparing for Friday’s prayers. The foreigners were clad in long black shirts.

He said all of them spoke in Persian and asked the worshippers to send their children for jihad and introduce them to Daesh for the purpose. They also preached Islam and asked people to obey their religion and practice its orders.

Sattar claimed as many as 300 youth were currently being trained by Daesh foreign mentors in Sardar village against the Afghan forces.

Acting administrative chief of Darz Ab district, Baz Mohammad Dawar, said the two French men and the woman were often seen in company of foreign Daesh trainers who encouraged people to send their children to swell the ranks of Daesh.

“We have conveyed the situation to the higher authorities,” Dawar said, and warned the training of Daesh rebels would become a huge threat in future if the situation was not controlled in the early stage.

Aminullah, the administrative chief of Qush Tepa district, said a huge number of Daesh fighters existed in the district.

He said a number of Sudanese, Kazakhs, Chechens, Pakistanis and Uzbeks had been seen in the district. They controlled and commanded the fighting.

Police chief Brig. Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani said military operations against Daesh were on the cards in Qesh Tepa and Darzab districts.

He did not say when the operations would be launched but said plans had been provided to security officials and they were just awaiting orders to launch the offensive.

He did not say anything about the presence of Daesh and their foreign trainers, but insisted the military offensive would be launched soon.

nh/ma