Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
A number of former intelligence members and soldiers Afghanistan the era of President Ashraf Ghani is reported to have entered ISIS for fear of being hunted by Taliban after the group came to power.
Several Afghan security officials and a number of people who knew the defectors confirmed the news to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
A source said that the number of former personnel who entered ISIS is relatively small, but continues to grow.
The sources also highlighted the capabilities of the former personnel, ranging from their skills in gathering information to war techniques. They worry that ISIS will become stronger against the Taliban if more former personnel join.
A former Afghan official later told me that one of his colleagues who was a former commander of the armory in Gardez had also joined ISIS. The man was killed in clashes with the Taliban a few weeks ago.
Several other residents also testified that their neighbors who were former Afghan military or intelligence personnel under Ghani’s government had joined ISIS.
The former Afghan spy agency, Rahmatullah Nabil, said that currently there are many ex-militaries in the suburbs who choose to join ISIS because they feel left out by the United States.
“In some areas, ISIS is very attractive. If there are resistance forces, they will join the group. Currently, only ISIS has an active armed group,” said Nabil.
Currently, ISIS continues to increase its attacks in Afghanistan. As reported by Reuters, there have been several major ISIS attacks since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in mid-August.
In late August, ISIS-K carried out a suicide bombing at Kabul airport. At that time, the airport was crowded with residents scrambling for evacuation. As a result, the suicide bombing killed 183 people, including 13 US military personnel.
On October 3, ISIS carried out a suicide bombing in front of a mosque in Kabul that killed five people. The bomb exploded as worshipers gathered to pray for the mother of the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, who died.
On October 8, ISIS again bombed a Shia mosque in Kunduz and claimed at least 46 lives and injured 143 others.
A week later, October 16, ISIS again bombed a Shia mosque in Afghanistan, killing 47 people.
The Taliban themselves claim that they have crushed ISIS cells in Afghanistan. However, the attacks still continued.
These attacks are considered to be able to make the international community question the ability of the Taliban to contain ISIS and ensure security in Afghanistan.
This ability of the Taliban is considered very important amid their efforts to gain international recognition. This recognition is crucial so that the Taliban can overcome the various crises in Afghanistan.
(has/bac)
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