The extremist Islamic State outfit has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bombings targeting Taliban vehicles in eastern Afghanistan. The claim was published late on Sunday on the militant group’s media – the Aamaq news agency.
At least eight people, including many Taliban fighters, were killed in the attacks on Sunday and Saturday in the provincial city of Jalalabad, which is an IS stronghold.
The Taliban that had seized control of almost entire Afghanistan in a blitz campaign last month, overrunning the capital Kabul while the US and NATO were in the final phase of pulling out their troops, now face major economic and security challenges in a bid to govern Afghanistan. An increase in campaigns of IS attacks will further complicate the situation in the worn-ravaged country.
Both organisations follow a harsh interpretation of Islam, but the Taliban have focused on taking charge of Afghanistan, while IS affiliates in Afghanistan and elsewhere call for international jihad.
