10 ’ISIL’ Militants Killed by Afghan Army
Local Editor
Afghan security forces have killed 10 fighters who claimed to be from "ISIL" in Afghanistan, officials said, amid reports that growing numbers of disgruntled Taliban fighters had joined the militant group.
The government identified one of the militants as Hafiz Wahidi, the nephew and successor of Mullah Abdul Rauf, a veteran militant killed last month in a drone strike.
Officials said Rauf, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, had also defected from the Taliban and called himself the leader of "ISIL" in Helmand.
Furthermore, reports of Taliban fighters switching sides to "ISIL" in recent months had raised concerns in war-weary Afghanistan, though there was little evidence of any operational ties between the fighters and the group's leadership.
People fear the emergence of the "ISIL" group could heighten sectarian tensions in Afghanistan.
The Afghan army had been leading operations in Helmand since February to clear the restive southern province of Taliban fighters ahead of the so-called fighting season that kicks off each spring.
Fifty-eight armed Taliban members were killed by Afghan security forces across the country on Sunday, a Ministry of Interior statement said.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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