Signaling an increase in rivalry, the Islamic State (Isis) fighters in Afghanistan reportedly beheaded 10 Taliban militants on Wednesday, 3 June, ibtimes reported.
Local reports claim that the Isis fighters ambushed a convoy of Taliban militants in Nangarhar province and beheaded the captured men later.
The 201st Selab Corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA) confirmed to Khaama Press that the beheading took place on Wednesday. According to New York Times, for the past several months, local Afghan fighters claiming allegiance to Isis leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi have been attacking veteran Taliban units; and, in some places the Isis loyalists have even completely taken over Taliban-held territories.
A key Taliban commander, Maulvi Abbas, was recently taken hostage by Isis, who now demands that the Taliban fighters join forces with the Islamic State. “Daesh (Arabic acronym for Isis) has been recruiting in Afghanistan since at least April 2014, without much success so far, considering how long they’ve been at it,” Graeme Smith, a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Kabul, told NYT.
“We started tracking groups last fall, and they usually number in the dozens. Some number in the hundreds, but none in the thousands.”
