KABUL - Former president Hamid Karzai has once again expressed concerns over the rise of Daesh militants in Afghanistan, blaming their expansion into Afghanistan to foreign supports.

He warned in an interview with Russian state-funded television network (RT) that the rise of newly-emerged Daesh extremists in Afghanistan would threaten the neighboring Russia and China.

The ex-president believes the expansion of Daesh – which has seized several cities in Iraq and Syria – was impossible "without a foreign backing."

"So, if you hear ever in the coming days, or months, or years that Daesh is on the rise in Afghanistan, and is strong and expanding militarily, it will mean that it is a foreign-backed force intending to destabilize the region, particularly Central Asia, China and Russia," Karzai said.

These statements came a few days after Daesh militants reportedly beheaded a number of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar.

However, the analysts and public speculations suggest there is no Daesh fighter in Afghanistan, stating they were the same Taliban militants who have rebranded themselves with raising black flags in order to spread more panic in the country.

But according to some security officials in eastern Afghanistan who confirm presence of Daesh, the newly-emerged militants are engaged in fighting with the Taliban in several parts of eastern Afghanistan.

Most recently, a commander of 201 ANA Selab Corps also confirmed presence of Daesh militants in several districts of Nangarhar.

"They [Daesh] have been sighted in Achin, Spin Ghara and Nazian districts," commander Mohammad Zaman Waziri said. "They have been engaged several times in fighting with the Taliban."

Also, he confirmed Daesh had started recruiting fighters in eastern Kunar province. However, he noted strong operations have been launched to suppress these militants.

Though, spokesman of Nangarhar's governor denied commenting on the presence of Daesh in his province, he admitted to a fighting between the two armed groups he said were unknown.

"Based on the reports from security agencies, there is a fighting between two unknown groups for several weeks in four districts of Nangarhar. Sometimes one group and sometimes the other one prevails," Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said. (Tolonews)