The regional affiliate of the Daesh group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — has been the key rival of the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The militant group has increased its attacks, targeting both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority.
According to Mohammad Asif Waziri, a spokesman for the police chief in Balkh, the operation late Monday night targeted an Daesh hideout in Nahri Shahi district and six members of the militant group were killed.
The Taliban swept across Afghanistan in August 2021, seizing power as US and NATO forces were withdrew after 20 years of war.
The international community has not recognized the Taliban government, wary of the harsh measures they have imposed since their takeover — including restricting rights and freedoms, especially for of women and minorities.
In March, a member of the Daesh group carried out a suicide bombing that killed three people, including Daud Muzmal, the Taliban’s appointed governor for Balkh. Muzmal is one of the most senior Taliban officials to have been killed since they took power in mid-August 2021.
The United States carried out a military operation that killed a senior Daesh leader in Syria on Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday, the latest blow to a group that once struck fear across the Middle East.
Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad Al-Jabouri was responsible for planning Daesh attacks in Europe and developed the leadership structure for the group, the statement said.
Daesh controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria at the peak of its power in 2014 before being beaten back in both countries. The group is estimated to have 5,000 to 7,000 members and supporters spread between Syria and Iraq, roughly half of them fighters, a UN report said in February.
No civilians were killed or injured in this strike, CENTCOM said, adding that the group “continues to represent a threat to the region and beyond.”
