JALALABAD - A strong 500-member Afghan Local Police (ALP) force has been approved for the Kot district of eastern Nangarhar province, the governor said on Monday.
Provincial officials and security forces paid a visit to Lagharjo area of Kot disrrict where the Islamic State (IS) or Daesh group had established their self-styled Caliphate and its institutions.
Governor Salim Khan Kunduzi told reporters that Daesh rebels had been driven from Kot and currently a 200-member ALP force had been approved for areas previously controlled by the IS and another 300-member ALP squad would be approved and established in future.
Few days back, security forces and local uprising groups launched a joint offensive and drove the IS rebels from the district. Scores were killed and dozens more were wounded in the operation.
Kunduzi said the operation in Kot district was being wrapped up as anti-militant operations were underway in Achin, Nazyan and Haska Mena districts. The governor said the operations would have a positive impact on the law and order situation.
He said schools, clinics and seminaries in Kot district would be rehabilitated and the affected families would be provided assistance. Kunduzi said the provincial government had provided a list of development projects needed in the district to the central government.
He said hundreds of displaced families were returning back and the government would provide necessary assistance to them.
Gul Mohammad, a resident of Lagharjo locality, said people’s homes got damaged during the operation because Daesh used them as their bastions.
He said many displaced people had returned to their homes. He said residents wanted a Afghan National Army (ANA) battalion or border police to be approved for the district.
Recently, NATO’s Resolute Support (RS) Commander Gen. John W. Nicholson has said almost 70 percent of fighters in the Islamic State (IS) group in Afghanistan are former Pakistani Taliban.

Nicholson told journalists in Washington that a dozen terrorist groups were still operating in Afghanistan despite the 15-year-old engagement of the US and NATO forces.(Pajhwok)