Local officials in Badakhshan say that some 600 families of Daesh and al-Qaeda, who are citizens of some Asian countries, are present in the province and have chosen the Khustak Valley of Jurm district as the center of their activities.

Badakhshan Governor Zakaria Sowda said, “After Daesh was defeated in Helmand and Nangarhar provinces, it is now working with the Al-Qaeda group, all of whom are foreigners, to build a caliphate center in Dara-e Khustak, Jurm district of Badakhshan. If it is not stopped, it will be a great danger after the peace process in Afghanistan and the Middle East.”

Altafullah Alizai, commander of the army’s brigade in Badakhshan, said, “Dara-e Khustak is under the control of Daesh and al-Qaeda for years. The place has open borders with China, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. It has gold mines, exported by the group to foreign countries through the open borders – a good income stream for them.”

Badakhshan military officials say that the Ansarullah network, the eastern Turkestan group, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan are among the groups working directly with the Daesh and al-Qaeda in Jurm, Warduj and Raghistan districts of Badakhshan province.

They add that more than 2,000 Taliban, in addition to these groups, conduct anti-government activities in 22 districts of Badakhshan.

Asadullah Mohammadi, the Police Chief of Badakhshan, said: “In the last week, a number of security forces were killed and others were wounded. The enemy has also suffered casualties. These groups fighting against the Afghan forces are all foreigners.”

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, First Deputy Chief of Special Operations in the North, said: “Foreign groups in the valley are using advanced weapons against us. Most of these fighters are citizens of Middle Eastern countries. Up to $10,000 has been recovered from the fighters killed in action.”

Meanwhile, residents of the Khustak Valley, Jurm district say that al-Qaeda and Daesh groups, along with their families, have forcibly taken hold of their homes.

“They kicked us out of our homes and located their families. All are black-skinned foreign nationals,” said one resident of Khustak Valley.

Another resident of the valley, said, “There are foreigners who have weapons and ammunition that our government does not have. All of them use dollars. Wherever they take, the people of that locality are kicked out of their homes.”

It is noteworthy that Badakhshan is one of the most insecure provinces in northeastern Afghanistan.

The province has borders with Pakistan, Tajikistan, and China. The Taliban, al-Qaeda, and Daesh have recently taken over Raghistan district and parts of Jurm district too.