Afghan spy agency the National Directorate of Security (NDS) has claimed credit for recent US drone strikes and airstrikes against ISIS, saying they provided the location of the suspected ISIS compound in Nangarhar Province and that the US had wiped out much of ISIS’s leadership in Afghanistan.
US drones killed some 49 people in Nangarhar on Tuesday, reportedly including a former Pakistan Taliban defector turned ISIS figure. The US apparently launched more strikes on Friday in the same district, claiming among the slain was Hafiz Saed, another affiliate leader.
NATO has declined any comment on the incidents, and while the Pentagon confirmed strikes in the district they similarly didn’t provide any details on who they were killing, beyond them being “individuals threatening the force.”
If true, the killings would represent a blow to the fledgling ISIS affiliate’s attempts to set up shop in Afghanistan, and a loss of experienced Taliban fighters. The claims, however, have not been verified, and Afghan officials provided no evidence of the identities of those slain in the US strikes, meaning it is likely premature to believe they were all slain.
Afghan Intel Agency. Good one.