Local officials of northern Baghlan province said on Sunday that Illegal Armed Groups (IAGs) are the biggest threat to the security of the district, adding that most of the murders and violence against women in the province are carried out by members of these groups.

IAGs are active around the country, proliferating in the wake of the counterinsurgency war, but they are thought to have particular large presence in Baghlan province. The groups are said to have support from wealthy and influential people, which enables them to act with relative impunity in many communities.

"The former governor, police chief and other security officials knew that the armed men are active in the province, but they did not pursue them or seize their weapons, which is now a big issue for us. We will try to find and collect the illegal weapons," said Sultan Mohammad Ebadi, the current governor of Baghlan.

Mr. Ebadi also expressed his concerns with insurgent activity in his province, but was confident that the insurgents could no longer fight with Afghan security forces. However, their use of roadside bombs and suicide attacks continues to prove a major problem for the province.

He was reassured by the efforts he knows the Afghan security forces are making to combat insurgency in the province. But it seems the IAGs are another issue entirely, rearing up like a new Hydra head across the country, one that has yet to really be addressed by the insurgency-focused government and security forces.