In this file photo taken on Sept 30, 2022, Taliban fighters stand guard near the site of suicide bomb attack at a learning center in the Dasht-e-Barchi area in Kabul. (PHOTO / STR VIA AFP)

KABUL - The Afghan caretaker government has dismissed Washington's claim over the alleged stronger presence of Daesh, or Islamic State (IS), in Afghanistan as utterly fabricated. 

"The statements of US officials about the number of IS militants in Afghanistan are not true. Daesh militants have already been reduced in ranks and suppressed," chief spokesman of the Afghan caretaker administration Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted.

The Afghan caretaker government, which has downplayed Daesh, or the IS group, as a serious threat, has vowed to crack down on any armed opponents in the war-ravaged country

US Central Command chief Gen Michael Kurilla, according to media reports, has said "IS is stronger today in Afghanistan" and warned of a possible IS attack on the interests of US and allied nations within six months.

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Brushing aside the baseless allegations by the US general on the IS strength in Afghanistan, Mujahid said on his Twitter account, "The interest of the US officials in this matter and their grandiosity is aiding and abetting the IS insurgents, which should be stopped."

The Afghan caretaker government, which has downplayed Daesh, or the IS group, as a serious threat, has vowed to crack down on any armed opponents in the war-ravaged country.

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The Afghan security forces have killed four armed militants affiliated with the rival IS group in two separate operations on the outskirts of Kabul over the past week.