Small Wars Journal

Are Taliban and Kabul Teaming Up Against 'Islamic State'?

Sat, 08/04/2018 - 4:11pm

Are Taliban and Kabul Teaming Up Against 'Islamic State'? By Masood Saifullah - Deutsche Welle

In a major setback for "Islamic State" (IS) in Afghanistan, over 150 of its fighters recently surrendered to security forces in the northern Jawzjan province. The credit for their defeat, however, does not directly go to Afghan government troops, but to the Taliban.    

"There were heavy clashes between the Taliban and IS during the last two months. As a result, many foreign IS fighters fled the area, but Afghan members of the group surrendered to the government," Abdul Hai Hayat, the head of the provincial council in Jawzjan, told DW.

The Taliban also claimed to have killed over 130 other IS members.

The fighting between the two sides took place in the IS strongholds of Darzab and Qush Tepa districts, which the group had captured from the Taliban nearly two years ago. The Taliban, Hayat said, had been trying to take back control of the territory since last year.

"More than 2,000 Taliban fighters came to these two districts in the last two months and they were able to defeat IS," local officials said…

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