According to General John Nicholson, the top US Mission Commander in Afghanistan, although the so-called Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, IS and Daesh) is principally a non-Afghan movement that is completely rejected by the Afghan people, but they are very focused to establish their caliphate inside the country.

Nicholson said the US has seen many foreign fighters joining the Islamic State in Afghanistan, particularly Uzbeks from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Pashtuns from the Pakistani Taliban.

In Afghanistan, the main-hub of Daesh militants estimated around 1,000 fighters is in eastern Nangarhar province which shares a border with Pakistan.

Insurgents moving across the Afghan border with Pakistan are primarily the Pakistani Taliban, Haqqani Network and Daesh militants.

Nicholson further said that most of the high-profile attacks in Kabul are perpetrated by the Haqqani network, which operates from across the border in Pakistan.

The Taliban and Haqqani “still enjoy sanctuary in Pakistan,” Nicholson said, adding that they are still able to conduct operations from that sanctuary.

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