Two Taliban fighters among three killed in Jalalabad attack: Report
The IS-K also carried out weekend attacks against the Taliban in Jalalabad via its propaganda arm Amaq
Two members of the Taliban and a civilian were killed in an attack in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad, reported AFP. A security source told reporters unidentified gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint at Ghawchak district in Jalalabad from a rickshaw, killing all three bystanders. While confirming the attack, a Taliban official, however, denied any casualty of members of the outfit. It said all the three killed were civilians.
Jalalabad province has been the main operating base for the Islamic State’s (IS) Afghanistan chapter, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), for years during the Afghan government’s rule. The outfit has, however, not yet claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack.
IS-K was behind the attack on Kabul airport about a month ago which killed more than 100 people, besides several other minors attacks over past few weeks.
The IS-K and Talibans are both Sunni groups but they differ on critical issues of religion which leads to severe fighting between the two. The IS-K also carried out weekend attacks against the Taliban in Jalalabad via its propaganda arm Amaq. The group claimed responsibility for "three separate bomb attacks" targeting three "Taliban vehicles" in Jalalabad on Saturday, and another "bomb attack" Sunday on "a Taliban vehicle".
The attack on Hamid Karzai International airport was perpetrated as strategic strikes against both the US and the Taliban, the American government told New York Times. US President Joe Biden cited IS-K and not Taliban as the reason for sticking to the original evacuation date for American troops from Afghan soil.
“Everyday we say there is a new day that we know ISIS-K is going to target the airport and attack Americans as well as allies and innocent civilians,” Biden said during a press briefing in the White House.