Currently, there are 2,000 terrorists in territory of Afghan Badakhshan, Afghan Badakhshan governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad told reporters in Dushanbe on May 4 on the sidelines of the High-level International Conference on “Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism.”
“The presence of terrorists in Afghan Badakhshan poses a serious threat to the region. If they manage to strengthen their positions in the province they will pose threat to national security of neighboring countries,” Begzad noted.
Afghan official considers that true decision would be a full annihilation of Taliban militants. “But it is worth noting that not all of them [terrorists] are nationals of Afghanistan. There are also citizens of Central Asia’s nations, Chinese Uighurs, Arabs and Pakistanis among them. They arrived in Afghanistan to help Taliban fight against the government forces,” Badakhshan governor said.
Asked about terrorist groups deployed in Afghan Badakhshan, Begzad said that they were mostly Taliban militants.
“There is also a small group of Al-Qaeda militants. Daesh (an acronym for the Arabic phrase al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) has not yet strengthened its positions in this region,” Afghan official added.
Recall, Tajik Border Troops commander, Lieutenant-General Rajabali Rahmonali, noted on May 2 that the Taliban Movement has deployed 6,825 militants along Afghanistan’s common border with Tajikistan. According to him, the militants have been transferred to the northern Afghanistan from the southern part of the country and they are no at the training bases in Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces. “Many of these militants are natives of Central Asia’s nations,” Rahmonali stressed. Tajik Border Troops commander noted that the Afghan-Tajik border has become a headache only for Tajikistan.
According to Pajhwok Afghan News, Major-General Ahmad Faisal Begzad was appointed as new governor for northeastern Badakhshan province in October 2015.
A highly qualified man, with enough experience in governance, has been appointed in line with the recommendation of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), Pajhwok Afghan News reported on October 27, 2015. .
A resident of Khatayan village of Taloqan, he replaced Shah Wali Adib. Begzad had reportedly also served as governor of Takhar and Faryab provinces from 1990 to 1991.
