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Politics

Kidnapped Sex Slaves Help Islamic State Gain Turf in Afghanistan

By
Updated on
  • Foreign fighters migrate to Afghanistan from Syria, Iraq
  • New caliphate is ‘possible,’ local police chief warns

When Mohammad Shah realized his family would never be able to afford the $15,000 demanded by his fiancee’s father for a traditional Afghan wedding, he turned to the one group he knew would help: the Islamic State.

The 23-year-old left his village in the northern province of Jowzjan about four months ago to join the militant group, which has seen a recent influx of foreign fighters bolster its presence in Afghanistan. Soon afterward, Shah and other Islamic State fighters stormed his fiancée’s house and kidnapped her at gunpoint. They later married in a ceremony at a mosque.