KABUL: French and Algerian fighters, some arriving from Syria, have joined the ranks of the Islamic State group in northern Afghanistan where the militants have established new bases, multiple international and Afghan sources have told AFP. Darzab residents told AFP that roughly 200 foreigners had set up camp just a few hundred metres (yards) from the village of Bibi Mariam. "They are... bringing misery to normal people," he told AFP, as other villagers said many residents had fled the area. Locals along with district governor Dawar warned the fighters were also exploiting natural resources, such as precious stones and metals. But as the number of fighters grows in Darzab, the villager Hajji told AFP there were no signs of pro-government forces in the district.

Source: New Strait Times December 10, 2017 11:32 UTC