In a violent, overnight assault by Taliban militants in Afghanistan’s Balkh province, six members of the extremist Islamic State group met their demise, according to a statement from a Taliban spokesperson.
The IS-Khorasan Province, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, has been a formidable adversary for the Taliban since their swift takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The group’s brutal tactics have escalated, targeting not only Taliban patrols but also Afghanistan’s minority Shiite population.
As per Mohammad Asif Waziri, a spokesperson for the police chief in Balkh, the operation conducted late Monday was aimed at an IS safe house in the Nahri Shahi district, resulting in the elimination of six members of the militant group.
Following the departure of US and NATO forces after a 20-year-long war, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. However, the international community has yet to recognize their government due to the stringent measures they have implemented, including the curtailment of the rights and freedoms of women and minorities.
In March, a member of the Islamic State group executed a suicide bombing that resulted in the death of three individuals, including Daud Muzmal, the appointed governor of Balkh by the Taliban. Muzmal is one of the highest-ranking Taliban officials to have been killed since their ascent to power in mid-August 2021.
