TALOQAN (SW): Acknowledging the presence of Uzbekistani militants, police officials in northern Takhar province have said militant organization Jandullah’s is eying permanent bases in the restive Ashkamish district.
Noor Mohammad Hakimi, Takhar Police Chief in has said following clean-up operation in the Kunduz province, the members of this militant group has fled to Ashkamish district to continue their odious activities and establish military bases.
He told SW Jandullah militants were already active in Chardara, Amam Saheb and Dasht Archi districts in Kunduz before they were forced to flee following a clean-up operation. Hakimi added that intelligence sources suggest that Jandullah has also sent its preaching groups among the locals to propagate extremist ideas.
Jandullah is believed to be an offshoot of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), an Islamist organization active in Central Asia and run by Uzbekistani. The group was cofounded by Tohir Abduhalilovich, more commonly known as Tohir Yoʻldosh who has close links with Al-Qaeda and Taliban groups.
Mullah Khodai Nazar, a member of this group who has been under government’s custody, has told the local police Jandullah groups go village to village and encourage people to join them. Mullah Khodai Nazar is a resident of Qala Zaal district in Kunduz province and was arrested along with his 5 men before he could make it to Ashkamish.
Security officials believe that this group was involved in killing Gen. Daud Daud, former commander of Afghan National Army (ANA)’s Pamir 303-Corps and Abdul Rahman Sayed Khayli, former police chief of Kunduz.
Three weeks ago, Ghulam Hazrat, also known as Abu Huzaiqa, the leader of Jandullah group in Afghanistan, was killed along with his deputy and 3 other key members of this group in aerial attack by security forces in Kunduz province.
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