Conflicts & War

Taliban kill 8 alleged IS members in eastern Afghanistan

Kabul, Sep 24 (EFE).- The Taliban on Friday claimed having killed at least eight members of Islamic State (IS) group in several operations in eastern Afghanistan.

The operations came as a result of several attacks on the Islamist group in recent days that were claimed by the IS.

“The killed persons are members of the Daesh (IS) group and have been killed over the past 24 hours in Jalalabad city and Achin district,” Hanif Nangarhari, Culture and Information director in Nangarhar province – where the operations were carried out – told EFE.

A provincial official, requesting anonymity, told EFE that the eight alleged IS members were killed in a series of operations launched by the Taliban.

The eight bodies with bullets marks on them were taken to the Nangarhar provincial hospital, a source from the local Public Health Directorate told EFE, requesting anonymity as they are banned by Taliban officials against sharing security related information with media.

These operations come after several explosions on Saturday and Sunday in the city of Jalalabad killed at least nine people and left some 25 others wounded, according to the Taliban.

The blasts were claimed by the IS, and marked the first attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban took full control of the country with the withdrawal of foreign troops, shortly before midnight on Aug.31.

Nangarhar region has remained the main bastion of the IS since the group gained a foothold in Afghanistan in 2015.

In recent years there have been numerous clashes in this region between the IS, Taliban and Afghan and foreign troops.

Despite facing strong opposition, the IS has a strong presence in the remote areas of Nangarhar and has now emerged as a major threat to the Taliban, being able to carry out attacks such as the one at Kabul airport on Aug.26 leaving at least 170 dead. EFE

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