Locals in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar Province are reporting another round of fighting between Taliban forces in the area and militants calling themselves fighters from ISIS’ “Islamic State.” 10-15 Taliban were reported slain in the latest clashes.
This is the latest in a flurry of incidents around Nangarhar in recent weeks, with reports last week of an ISIS ambush on Taliban forces in which they captured and beheaded several Taliban fighters.
The exact link between Afghanistan’s ISIS fighters and the parent group is thus far unclear; many of the fighters in Afghanistan are reportedly Taliban defectors who believe that they can get more funding and recruitment by associating themselves with the more successful caliphate.
ISIS ultimately backed other groups doing this in Libya and Sinai, giving them considerable training support. It’s unclear if anything of this sort is going on in Afghanistan yet, but if ISIS begins throwing its weight behind this Afghan faction it could greatly change the balance of power in the area.
Previously, May 1st: http://news.antiwar.com/2015/05/01/isis-fighters-… a faction flying the ISIS flag has been making the rounds in Afghanistan’s Faryab Province, to great success. … …this ISIS faction appears to be dominated by foreign fighters, in this case Uzbeks who had been showing up in the area in increasing numbers
–Faryab seemed interesting—Wikileaks doc: "Possible suicide bombers will most likely be revealed by the Uzbek population in the lucid FARYAB." Handy informers, those Uzbeks? What might've 'changed?' Wrong question? …Craig Murray said Uzbekistan had been generating false CIA intelligence through torture. …if they'd do that, it doesn't seem a stretch that they'd also be in a terror recruiting game. Had those been Faryab Uzbeks or people from Uzbekistan?
But these are supposedly 'Taliban defectors'… Any pattern at all emerging 'bout "ISIS" in Afghanistan?
Previously, May 1st: http://news.antiwar.com/2015/05/01/isis-fighters-… a faction flying the ISIS flag has been making the rounds in Afghanistan’s Faryab Province, to great success. … …this ISIS faction appears to be dominated by foreign fighters, in this case Uzbeks who had been showing up in the area in increasing numbers
–Faryab seemed interesting—Wikileaks doc: "Possible suicide bombers will most likely be revealed by the Uzbek population in the lucid FARYAB." Handy informers, those Uzbeks? What might've 'changed?' Wrong question? …Craig Murray said Uzbekistan had been generating false CIA intelligence through torture. …if they'd do that, it doesn't seem a stretch that they'd also be in a terror recruiting game. Had those been Faryab Uzbeks or people from Uzbekistan?
But these are supposedly 'Taliban defectors'… Any pattern at all emerging 'bout "ISIS" in Afghanistan?
Previously, May 1st: http://news.antiwar.com/2015/05/01/isis-fighters-… a faction flying the ISIS flag has been making the rounds in Afghanistan’s Faryab Province, to great success. … …this ISIS faction appears to be dominated by foreign fighters, in this case Uzbeks who had been showing up in the area in increasing numbers
–Faryab seemed interesting—Wikileaks doc: "Possible suicide bombers will most likely be revealed by the Uzbek population in the lucid FARYAB." Handy informers, those Uzbeks? What might've 'changed?' Wrong question? …Craig Murray said Uzbekistan had been generating false CIA intelligence through torture. …if they'd do that, it doesn't seem a stretch that they'd also be in a terror recruiting game. Had those been Faryab Uzbeks or people from Uzbekistan?
But these are supposedly 'Taliban defectors'… Any pattern at all emerging 'bout "ISIS" in Afghanistan?