Daesh militants impose restrictions on Darzab residents

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): Residents and officials of northwestern Jawzjan province say Daesh militants have restricted people from watching TV, listening to radio and buying chicken meat, cigarette and other snuff in Darzab district.

Locals complain Daesh — or the so-called Islamic State (IS) — fighters check residential buildings at night and punish those violating their orders.

Haq Birdi, a inhabitant of Bibi Maryam village, told Pajhwok Afghan News the insurgents had collected dish antennas from rooftops and destroyed them.

“Daesh fighters recently surfaced among communities and told people to avoid energy drinks, cigarette, snuff and frozen chicken meat. They say these things are prohibited by Islam,” he said.

The militants even collected meat and drinks from local shops and destroyed them, he said, adding people were concerned at the situation. The residents did not know what to do or who to ask for help, he continued.

Birdi claimed the IS members stormed villages at night to punish violators of their orders, creating fear among the locals.

Mohammad Salim, a resident of Bato village, said the militants operated about 50 meters from the district centre at night. The fighters eat melons and drank tea in the district bazaar.

Two days earlier, the fighters locked snuff-selling shop near the district office complex, but no one had the courage to resist them; even the security forces could not stop them, he claimed.

People, particularly shopkeepers selling drinks, snuff, chicken meat and dish antenna, were being troubled by Daesh sanctions, he said.

“Daesh has warned people those who violate their orders will be punished and those repeating the violation will be killed,” Salim maintained.

Meanwhile, the acting district chief confirmed the complaints. He said the problem was previously limited to a few villages but the fighters were currently close to the district centre.

He said the rebels visited the district bazaar and imposed their orders on shopkeepers. The police personnel did not go out of check-posts after 5pm and there was a need for a large-scale operation to contain the militants, he added.

However, the provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Rahmatullah Turkistani, vehemently denied the movement of Daesh in the Darzab district bazaar.

The sanctions existed in the past in areas under Daesh control but the claim that the militants had reached the district centre was wrong, he said.

Turkistani said an operation would be launched for the elimination of Daesh militants from Darzab after consultations with local elders. However, he did not give any timeframe.

Darzab district is located 105 kilometres west of Shiberghan, the provincial capital. Most marts of the district are being controlled by Daesh and Taliban.

mds/mud

Views: 4