Afghanistan: Senior Daesh Commander surrenders to security forces

Mawlawi Habiburrahman, the military head of Daesh, and his deputy for the northern region of Afghanistan, and 150 of their fighters surrendered to security forces in Jawzjan province on Tuesday, local officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Mohammad Reza Ghafoori, a spokesman for the provincial governor said that Habiburrahman and his deputy Mufti Nematullah along with their fighters handed themselves over to security forces in Darzab district of the province.

“More than 10 of these fighters are foreigners,” Ghafoori said, adding that “the identity of the foreign fighters is unclear but it appears most of them are from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.”

Local officials said the move happened after heavy clashes broke out between Taliban and Daesh in Darzab two days ago.

Habiburrahman is a resident of Darzab and was assigned as the group’s military head for the region a year ago after the death of his predecessor Qari Hekmatullah.

Nematullah, is also a resident of the district. Habiburrahman was originally a Taliban commander who then surrendered himself to Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, First Vice President, during an operation in the area. However a few months later, he joined Daesh.

In the meantime, Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, provincial police chief, said that “the surrendering of Daesh’s military head shows the defeat of the group in Darzab.”

“Soon these people will be transferred by helicopter to Sheberghan, (capital of Jawzjan) from Darzab district,” Jawzjani said.

Darzab has been one of the most insecure districts in the province and has been the scene of heavy clashes in the past three years between government forces, Taliban and Daesh insurgents.