The Islamic State is losing grip in Afghanistan

National Directorate of Security (NDS) said its operatives had recently detained head of IS-K, or Daesh extremist group, Abdullah Orikzai, aka “Aslam Faroqi” along with his 19 fighters. He has confessed about Daesh’s deep ties with regional intelligence.

Following the detention, five militants loyal to the Daesh group had laid down their arms in eastern Kunar province.

In a statement, the Ministry of Interior on Monday said the Daesh fighters surrendered to Afghan forces in Sawakai district of the province on Saturday.

They (reconciled militants) had also handed over their weapons, and promised not to rejoin the battlefield, the statement added.

Ahmad, a commander of NDS special forces, who led the operation to arrest Aslam Farooqi, the leader of the Khorasan branch of Daesh, said the operation was the most complex and precise operation he had carried out in his seven years of duty.

Ahmad, a 26-year-old NDS commander, said he and his subordinates originally intended to arrest an explosives and weapons supplier named Shah Wali who was active in Kandahar, but Ahmad said his (Shah Wali’s) arrest opened the way for further successive operations in Kandahar, TOLONews has reported.

“Our operation lasted six days and nights, and we carried out twelve operations and we carried them slowly because they (enemies) had moved to civilian areas,” added Ahmad.

Ahmad said that during their second operation in Kandahar, he and his associates found that they were closer to Aslam Farooqi, the leader of the Khorasan branch of Daesh, than ever before, and that they would reach him if they proceeded cautiously.

“An operation was carried out in four or five parts of the city (in one of the southern provinces), and Aslam Farooqi was in one of the districts when we arrested him,” Ahmad told TOLOnews.

Source: Afghanistan Times