Mehrabuddin Safi, the Governor of Kapisa province, on Friday said that the presence of Illegal Armed Groups (IAGs) in his province was the single greatest threat to its residents' security and safety, adding to growing concerns about the prevalence of IAGs throughout the country.
"The IAGs are most active in the center of Kapisa province and are terrorizing the people," Govenor Safi said.
Subduing IAGs has long been a top priority of the Afghan government, yet residents and provincial officials in a number of areas around the country have reported a proliferation of them and their illegal activities.
"We are trying to identify the groups and disarm them. We will hand over them to the legal organs of the country as quickly as possible," Safi said.
Governor Safi reported that he created a special commission to put an end to the activities of the IAGs and seize all illegal arms and ammunition.
On Thursday, residents of Sholgarah district in northern Balkh province drew attention to the growing threat posed by IAGs in their area. Residents claimed they were being terrorized by the bands of armed men and demanded security officials take action against the groups.
IAGs have proven to be a growing malady throughout Afghanistan. While much of the focus of security officials is understandably fixated on combating the Taliban insurgency, IAGs proven an increasingly troublesome source of violence and criminal activity in communities around the country.