Fierce fighting betwixt the Taliban in addition to Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Afghan chapter of IS, necessitate keep seen hundreds of militants killed inward Jowzjan in addition to Faryab provinces, 2 provinces inward northern Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan considered to live IS-K strongholds. About 300 militants were killed inward 2 weeks of clashes betwixt IS-K in addition to the Taliban, which began on July 25 inward the Darzab district of Jowzjan. It was the Taliban’s 3rd major offensive against their rivals, in addition to saw nearly 200 IS-K fighters paw themselves over to authorities forces rather than facial expression upwards the Taliban. Video footage from August 1, released past times the government, showed IS-K fighters demanding protection inward homecoming for their give upwards (Khabarnama, August 2).
The Taliban reportedly attacked IS-K forces, inflicting heavy losses on the group. Senior commanders on both sides were killed inward the fighting. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 spokesperson for the Jowzjan governor told local outlets that Haji Qumandan, the deputy leader of IS-K inward northern Afghanistan, had been killed. The governor also reported the deaths of many senior Taliban members, including Haji Shakir, the district master copy for Sangcharak district of Sar-e Pol (Khabarnama, July 25). An before written report on July eighteen claimed that 2 IS-K fighters targeted a Taliban gathering inward Sayyad district of Sar-e Pol, killing xv Taliban militants in addition to wounding 5 others (Khabarnama, July 18).
Sar-e Pol, Jowzjan in addition to Faryab are non the only provinces where the Taliban in addition to IS-K necessitate keep engaged inward heavy clashes. The fighting appears to live a growing tendency that has hitting tape levels of violence inward the concluding 3 years next emergence of IS-K inward Afghanistan. While a truce of sorts appears to live inward house betwixt the 2 groups inward Afghanistan’s southwestern in addition to southern provinces, inward the due north it appears to live the Taliban’s intention to eliminate IS-K forces only (Khabarnama, July 2018).
Darzab: IS-K’s Northern Stronghold
IS-K has come upwards to dominate Darzab district inward the southwest of Jowzjan province inward northern Afghanistan—to the W lies Sar-e Pol province, piece Faryab province is to the east. As of 2012, the district had a population of 52,800 people (IFPS, August, 2012). IS-K’s presence inward northern Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan began to emerge inward 2015, when Qari Hekmat, a erstwhile Taliban commander inward the north, shifted allegiance to IS-K in addition to started recruiting local insurgents in addition to edifice alliances (AAN, March 4). The group’s fighters are dominant inward Darzab, having sidelined the Taliban in addition to other armed actors there. The district faces many reports of IS-K carrying out killings, attacking international help workers, beating teenagers, preventing woman somebody pedagogy in addition to exploiting mineral resources (Tolonews, Dec 9, 2017; Tolonews, July, 5, 2017; khabarnama, Feb 8, 2017; 1tvnews, Apr 17).
It is unclear why IS-K has focused its energies on Darzab, Qush Tepa in addition to the residue of Jowzjan province. Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, a fellow member of parliament from Faryba province, however, told The Jamestown Foundation that Darzab’s strategic geography, coupled with the local population’s highly conservative views, necessitate keep paved the agency for IS-K’s emergence. [1]
IS-K get-go began to seriously constitute its presence inward Darzab district inward early on 2017. In June that year, 2 groups of Taliban fighters who had switched allegiance to IS-K staged a serial of attacks on authorities outposts inward Darzab. In those battles, IS-K fighters killed at to the lowest degree 10 authorities fighters in addition to many civilians (AVA, Apr 10, 2017).
Since then, 3 major battles necessitate keep taken house betwixt Taliban in addition to IS-K fighters. The get-go major assault took house inward the minute one-half of Oct 2017. The Taliban had mobilized hundreds of fighters from several provinces to oust Qari Hekmat in addition to his forces from Darzab (AAN, Nov 11, 2017). The minute armed forces offensive of Taliban insurgents against IS-K fighters took house inside iv months, but over again failed to recapture the territorial command of Darzab district. Qari Hekmat in addition to his forces survived the attack, which lasted for around 10 days starting from Jan 19, 2018, in addition to involved hundreds of Taliban fighters. In early on April, Qari Hekmat was reportedly killed inward a U.S.-Afghan articulation raid inward the north, but fifty-fifty without their leader IS-K survived a 3rd Taliban assault on the district.
Composition of IS-K inward Darzab
The presence of unusual fighters amid IS-K inward Darzab in addition to other northern provinces is an additional concern. In August 2017, the Jowzjan police describe master copy confirmed the presence of unusual fighters including Chechens in addition to Uzbeks—like the prominent Aziz Yuldashev, boy of Tahir Yuldashev—along with Pakistani in addition to fifty-fifty Uyghur fighters on the battlefields of Darzab, fighting against Afghan authorities forces (Khabarnama, August 25, 2017).
Abdul Ahad Elbek, the Faryab deputy provincial council chief, had reported that Russian in addition to Tajikistani citizens were acquaint amongst other IS-K fighters inward the battlefields of Jowzjan in addition to Faryab. It would live weeks before Afghan senior safety officials confirmed the presence of these unusual fighters inward Jowzjan. (Khabarnama, August 10, 2017).
Soon later the claims of unusual fighters’ involvement inward Darzab district past times local officials inward northern Afghanistan, some other written report emerged inward Dec 2017 stating that Algerian in addition to French fighters had joined IS-K inward Darzab. The written report bolstered fears of a growing presence of unusual fighters amid IS-K militants inward that surface area (Tolonews, Dec 10, 2017).
IS-K’s ranks inward northern Afghanistan—particularly inward Darzab, Qush Tepa in addition to other Jowzjan in addition to Faryab districts—are an unusual combination of unusual in addition to Afghan fighters. This has attracted the attending of the Afghan authorities in addition to international forces, which necessitate keep been concerned nearly northern Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan becoming a finish for IS fighters fleeing the battlefields of Republic of Iraq in addition to Syria. Moreover, the tendency has also concerned Russians in addition to citizens of Central Asia who are business office of the broader moving-picture demo of the IS-K formation inward northern Afghanistan.
Roots of Resentment
The Taliban made clear its unwillingness to tolerate IS-K from the 24-hour interval the grouping get-go emerged inward 2015. In early on Oct that year, Taliban officials announced the formation of an elite force—one that insurgents claimed was improve trained in addition to equipped than regular Taliban fighters—and deployed it to provinces where IS-K had emerged (BBC Persian, Dec 23, 2015).
The Taliban thence began a broad offensive against IS-K affiliated groups. In slow November, insurgents brutally killed IS-K members inward Zabol province (Pazhwok, Nov 9, 2015). Ahead of Zabol inward June 2015, they crushed IS-K fighters inward western Farah province. Later, the Afghan national regular army would say IS-K had been stamped out from the province only (al-Arabia, June 1, 2015). Since then, at that topographic point necessitate keep been no reports of IS-K activities inward Farah in addition to other western provinces bordering Iran. Some believe the Taliban had been subcontracted past times Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure the provinces remains costless of the group.
Fighting betwixt the Taliban in addition to IS-K continued into the next years inward other areas of Afghanistan. In 2016, Nangarhar emerged every bit a major IS-K stronghold in addition to became the focus of the Taliban. Fighting betwixt the 2 insurgent groups resulted inward a large publish of casualties, although interestingly the Taliban found it was unable to eliminate the IS-K Nangahar strongholds. Instead, inward many areas, IS-K emerged every bit a dominant player, controlling wider areas of solid reason in addition to winning territory from the Taliban (BBC Persian, Jan 6, 2016). Clashes betwixt the Taliban in addition to IS-K continued, fifty-fifty every bit the Afghan authorities in addition to U.S.-led international forces targeted IS-K with the “mother of all bombs” in addition to killed IS-K leaders (BBC Persian, May 7, 2017).
In contrast to the Taliban’s success against IS-K inward southward in addition to western Afghanistan, the grouping has failed to suppress IS-K fighters in addition to eliminate their strongholds inward eastern in addition to northern parts of the country.
The Role of Russia
Concurrent with IS-K emergence inward Afghanistan, Russian Federation has continuously developed its relations with the Taliban. In Apr 2016, a senior Russian official confirmed his country’s relations with the grouping but denied whatever cooperation with them (Azadi Radio, Apr 11, 2016). Russia’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, told the press that his country’s concern nearly IS-K is the main argue for Moscow’s contacts with the Taliban (BBC Persian, Dec 26, 2016). In fact, Russia’s concerns become further. Moscow is continuously engaged inward discussions with regional players, including Islamic Republic of Pakistan in addition to China, to address regional safety in addition to the endangerment of IS-K infiltration into the Central Asian portion (8am, Apr 1, 2016).
Afghan experts believe Russian Federation get-go started talks with the Taliban inward 2006, urging the grouping to struggle the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in addition to counter drugs trafficking to Central Asia (VOA Dari, Nov 13, 2016). No official sources confirm Moscow’s relations with the Taliban every bit early on every bit 2006, although Russians inward to a greater extent than recent years necessitate keep been song nearly their country’s channels of communication with the Taliban. This has led to assumptions that the Taliban’s aggressive opinion against IS-K inward northern Afghanistan, especially inward the Darzab district of Jowjzan, powerfulness live due to Moscow’s involvement. If true, utilizing the Taliban every bit a proxy against IS-K inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan seems to live a double-edged sword for the Russians who are putting at endangerment their relations with Kabul. Moreover, such a tactical opinion only strengthens the Taliban, which soundless brutally kills Afghan in addition to international forces in addition to is responsible for thousands of civilian casualties every year.
Russia has been uncompromising inward its opinion toward Islamic State, in addition to Moscow is doubtless concerned nearly the emergence of IS-K inward Afghanistan. The heavy Russian armed forces presence inward Tajikistan in addition to its involvement with the Taliban clearly illustrates that Moscow sees IS-K every bit a strategic threat both to Russian Federation in addition to Moscow’s wider “security belt” throughout Central Asia.
Waliullah Rahmani is a safety in addition to political affairs proficient specializing inward terrorism, insurgency, Afghanistan-Pakistan affairs in addition to Islamic movements. He has led a think-tank inward Kabul in addition to advises national in addition to international organizations on regional safety in addition to political trends of Southern Asia in addition to the Middle East.
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
