Ghani

VOA News
Ayaz Gul
January 10, 2016

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday traveled to eastern Nangarhar province where he met with officials and tribal leaders to assess concerns Islamic State is gaining ground in the province that borders Pakistan.

Addressing the meetings in the capital Jalalabad , Ghani stressed that the government is determined to prevent Daesh (the Arabic acronym for IS) from establishing bases in Afghanistan and that the defense ministry will intensify the bombing of IS bases in the province.

He spoke after the provincial governor informed him ongoing airstrikes by the Afghan defense and national security force are effectively tackling the IS threat and urged Ghani to step up the anti-IS campaign

Islamic State, which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq, has found supporters in Afghanistan, mainly in Nangarhar’s Achin, Nazyan and neighboring districts.

“Daesh does not have a place in our soil. We want them killed,” Ghani said.

IS militants on Friday beheaded seven people in the Achin district. While they were carrying out the executions in front of local villagers, a suspected U.S. drone strike hit the area killing at least 17 IS fighters, according to the provincial government.