KABUL - A research paper by the Afghan Institute of Strategic Studies (AISS) has found that Daesh’s Khorasan branch which operates in Afghanistan is "fragile and disunited."
The research paper titled “Islamic State Wilayat Khorasan: Phony Caliphate or Bona Fide Province?” was based on a series of interviews with a number of Daesh prisoners in which they talked about the techniques and ideology of the group.
Speaking at the ceremony to present the research paper, Dr. Dawood Azami, head of the BBC in London (Pashto department), said that Daesh is the first group in Afghanistan that has challenged the Taliban both militarily and ideologically.
According to Azami, Daesh not only rejected the “Emirate” but also challenged the legitimacy of the group's leader by declaring the caliphate.
“All fighters operating within the ranks of Daesh never joined this group because of their ideology, they joined Daesh because of some financial issues,” said  Hussain Ehsani, an AISS researcher.
According to the research paper, Daesh militants are currently operating in the north, east and some areas in the west of the country, and they receive financial and military support from neighboring countries.
Some other speakers at the event raised deep concerns over what they described as the influence of Daesh among some young people. (TOLO NEWS)