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Islamic State Staggers in Afghanistan, but Survives

Jeff Seldin

   One of the Islamic State's most feared affiliates has suffered a
   significant setback, though U.S. officials caution reports that the
   terror group was "obliterated" are overblown.
   U.S. officials confirmed Thursday that Islamic State-Khorasan, as the
   terror group's Afghan affiliate is called, collapsed in the country's
   eastern Nangarhar province following months of fighting.
   "Afghan government and coalition operations against the group, along
   with the Taliban's campaign '¦ led to ISIS-Khorasan's collapse in
   Nangarhar and the surrender of hundreds of fighters to Afghan forces,"
   a senior counterterrorism official told VOA, using an acronym for the
   group.
   "Surrendered [Islamic State] fighters said they were told to leave
   Nangarhar forKunar[province], where we assess the group still maintains
   a presence, as well as the northern provinces of Afghanistan," the
   official added.

   Afghans more optimistic

   The U.S. assessment contrasted with some more optimistic pronouncements
   from Afghan officials, who touted the victory in Nangarhar as
   conclusive.
   "No one believed one year ago that we would stand up and remain in
   Nangarhar, and thank God that today we have obliterated Daesh,"
   President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday during a speech in Jalalabad, using
   an Arabic acronym for IS.
   "It's not possible that they once again equip themselves in other areas
   of Afghanistan and threaten other parts of the country," Nangarhar
   Governor Shah MahmoudMiakheladded.
   Just two days earlier, Taliban officials touted their own success
   against the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, calling the group's
   defeat in Nangarhar andKunarprovinces the result of a "decisive and
   large-scale" campaign that began in September.

   'Systematically uprooted'

   "Over the course of the last five years, they were systematically
   uprooted," spokesmanZabihullahMujahid said in a statement Sunday,
   adding the Taliban had "rescued the oppressed people of Nangarhar from
   this scourge."
   Both the Taliban and Afghan government officials said almost 600 IS
   fighters had surrendered, along with women and children.
   Still, U.S. officials said the threat from IS-Khorasan, which is
   thought to have between 4,000 and 5,000 fighters across Afghanistan,
   was far from over.
   

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