With the emergence of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the country, Afghan government has determined its strategy towards it. In his recent speech, Afghan President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to keep bombing members of ISIL group – which has gained foothold in restive provinces and clashed with the Taliban insurgents sporadically. His remarks come as the politicians and political pundits predict a dark future for Afghanistan if the influence of ISIL group is undervalued. This militant group created a great sense of fear in the air via involving in horrific practices and cruel acts. According to public beliefs, the ISIL fighters stoked sectarian tension in recent months through abducting members of ethnic minority groups and beheading them, including women and children. Such outrageous acts of violence, which was a slap in the face of humanity, hurt the feelings of Afghan nation.

Members of ISIL insurgents are widely involved in violation of human rights not only in Afghanistan but wherever they hold sway. According to a recent report, an ISIL’s loyalist killed his mother in a public square in the Syrian city of Raqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Ali Saqr, a 20-year-old man, reported his mother, Lina, to ISIL authorities in Raqa “because she tried to persuade him to leave IS and flee the city”. The authorities subsequently arrested the woman and accused her of apostasy. She was shot to death by her son “in front of hundreds of people close to the mail service building in Raqa city”, the Observatory added. Among the crimes that warrant a death sentence in IS territories are homosexuality and adultery, according to the Observatory. The extremist group has been accused of carrying out mass killings, torture, rape and sexual slavery.

Since the ISIL militant group violates the rights and dignity of mankind on the grounds of their caste, color and creed regardless of religious prohibition, humanity and ethical code, nothing is sacred to it. Members of ISIL are engaged not only in violence and bloodshed but also in moral turpitude. Thousands of Yazidi girls and women were sold and dishonored in Iraq. In other words, on August 03, 2014, when ISIL fighters invaded the villages on the southern flank of Mount Sinjar, a craggy massif of dun-colored rock in northern Iraq, a large number of Yazidi women fell victim to them.

ISIL believes that Yazidi women could be enslaved under their ideological beliefs that one-fifth of the women should be transferred to the ISIL leadership and the remainder divided among the fighters who participated in the conquest of Mount Sinjar. “Many well-known rulings are observed, including the prohibition of separating a mother from her young children.”

The November 13 Paris attacks that claimed at least 130 lives and left hundreds more injured, the bloody attack in Bamako and the horrific acts of violence in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan carried out by members of ISIL revealed its ugly face to the entire world.

Therefore, the presence of ISIL group in Afghanistan will lead the country to a political turbulence and sterilize the germ of democracy in our land. Similarly, it will spew forth venom across the country and create a national gap that will never be bridged. It is feared that with gaining firm foothold, the ISIL will stage heavy attacks – the same as the Taliban’s spring offensive – soon after creating a connection with its central leadership in Iraq and Syria.

With the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces and unsuccessful war on terror, Afghanistan’s political structure turned highly fragile and militancy escalated on a large scale. As a result, total civilian deaths and injuries in the first quarter of 2015 followed the record high levels of 2014. Between 1 January and 31 March, UNAMA documented 1,810 civilian casualties, a two per cent decrease from the same period in 2014. Moreover, US officials said earlier that at least 7,000 Afghan security force members have been killed between January 2015 and the beginning of December.

The emergence of ISIL is the product of political turmoil which was created with the vacuum of equipped soldiers and existence of political negligence. For instance, some key posts in government, including the Ministry of Defense, are being run by acting heads. Likewise, the official period of the parliament was over months ago and, constitutionally, new election had to be held but it wasn’t. After all, the presence of members of ISIL group was underestimated and seemed imaginary for the officials. Therefore, they were not combated in the beginning and could hold somewhat firm foothold and ushered in militancy.

Since the ISIL group talks with the barrel of gun and logic and political discourse bear no meaning for it, military deal is the only way left to combat this terrorist network. Alike many Afghan citizens, I do appreciate Ghani’s decision as he said that “we want them killed” and there is no room for ISIL in Afghan territory and ordered Ministry of Defense to keep bombing it. Afghan officials have emphasized constantly that the door to negotiation is open to any anti-government groups however terror would be the second option. Now, it is time to combat this group with strong force and prevent from its sinister ploy.