Part 3
Written by: Ali Ansar
Governance also signifies influence and popularity; it is not solely the exercise of authority and power over individuals and territories. ISIS not only lacks the capacity to govern or establish authority over the Afghan population but also fails to garner their trust or support. Having previously addressed some of ISIS’s atrocities in Syria, we will now delve into their brutal actions and barbarism in Afghanistan.
ISIS Atrocities in Nangarhar:
ISIS established a presence in Nangarhar in 2015. Nangarhar, a city renowned for its culture and education, boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage. However, upon their unwelcome arrival, ISIS swiftly began perpetrating atrocities throughout various districts, areas, and villages of Nangarhar. They directly opposed the Mujahideen and commenced the brutal massacre of civilians.
ISIS specifically targeted and martyred prominent religious scholars in Nangarhar. Notable among the victims were Mawlawi Farooq, a distinguished scholar from the Lalmay area of Chaparhar district, as well as Mawlawi Abdul Rahman and Mawlawi Hizbullah, two other esteemed scholars from the Kandibagh area of the same district. Additionally, they abducted Mawlawi Abdul Samad, a preacher and scholar from the Akhun village of Rodat district, and later executed him.
Upon their initial malevolent emergence, they set ablaze 23 civilian residences, initially burning them down, then perpetrating brutal acts against children, executing elderly individuals, and young men, or detonating them with explosives. They frequently seized women and children, exploiting them for their heinous activities or subjecting them to barbaric killings.
In the Achin district alone, ISIS executed 600 civilians, as reported by the district governor during the Republic administration. This figure was disseminated in the media. The governor disclosed that ISIS operated three major detention facilities in Achin, where they detained civilians, women, and children, subjecting them to excruciating torture before murdering them. Among the captives were 130 distinguished religious scholars, tribal elders, and other prominent figures.
Furthermore, ISIS abducted innocent young girls in Achin district and forcibly married them to their militants. This instance merely scratches the surface of ISIS’s cruelty. Beyond Achin and Chaparhar districts, ISIS orchestrated massacres in Pachiragam district, resulting in the destruction of numerous households. The districts of Achin, Chaparhar, Pachiragam, Tora Bora, Haska Meyna, Shinwar, and Kot in Nangarhar serve as witnesses to ISIS’s abominations and savagery.
In 2016, ISIS orchestrated a bombing during a tribal gathering in Kot district of Nangarhar, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians. Subsequently, in 2017, they perpetrated another bombing at a public assembly in the Nazian area, claiming the lives of many more individuals. In 2019, a mosque bombing in Haska Meyna district resulted in the martyrdom of numerous worshippers.
ISIS operated in Nangarhar with the open support of U.S. forces and the Republic administration. The brave Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate tirelessly combated ISIS for years, significantly reducing their presence and ultimately purging Nangarhar—this esteemed city with its historical, academic, and cultural significance—from the grip of ISIS. These accounts merely scratch the surface of ISIS’s atrocities in Nangarhar. Subsequent sections will delve into ISIS’s brutalities in other regions of Afghanistan, God willing.
