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"There are men with black flags and black clothes," nervously reports Gol Mohammad. "I have seen them brandishing heavy weapons and driving luxury cars," he states when describing the fighters.

In Farah Province's Khake Safed district, in western Afghanistan, the fighters just appeared one day. Since then, rumors have become more frequent. The people are afraid. "We fear them more than the Taliban," says Gol Mohammad whose home is also located in this district. "Until now, they have left us alone, but that can change soon." Whether or not the hooded men really are "IS" militants from Iraq, is hard for him to say.

Whether "IS" has also gained a foothold in Afghanistan, is unclear. An official statement does not yet exist. In Pakistan, an allegiance video has emerged. Some Afghan fighters in several parts of the country are said to have claimed to be part of the movement.

In Farah (West-Afghanistan), in Helmand (South Afghanistan), and in Zabul (East Afghanistan), there were reports of men dressed in black who did not speak the language of the Taliban. They seem to be financially independent, and also carry around the "IS" flag. Several Afghan officials have expressed concern about this development.

Looming warfront?

Former Afghan warlord Ismail Khan, who until recently was the Minister for Energy and Water, spoke at a press conference in mid-January about a looming warfront. "Foreign men are recruiting and training Safed militants in the Khake District. As early as spring, there will be battles.

The government should be prepared for it," said Ismail Khan. The area is located 150 kilometers from the city of Herat and lies on the border to Iran. At the same time, he admitted that he could not say for sure if these foreigners were "IS" militants.

While former President Hamid Karzai was on the defensive as to a potential threat posed by "IS" in Afghanistan, voices from the current government sound more concerned. Last week, Afghanistan's CEO Abdullah Abdullah, together with Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that the topic of "IS" is not to be underestimated.

"The problem of IS requires a better and more serious cooperation between countries" (Iran and Afghanistan, ed. note), says Abdullah. In the past few weeks, numerous reports and statements by Afghan officials confirm this position.

No imminent danger

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Fears of 'Islamic State' in Afghanistan