The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for a series of explosions in eastern Afghanistan that targeted Taliban forces, indicating escalating tensions between the country's warring factions.
ISIS Claims the Three Separate Bombs
In a recently published article in Hindustan Times, ISIS claimed responsibility for three different bomb strikes in Jalalabad on Saturday that targeted three Taliban vehicles, as well as another bomb attack on a Taliban vehicle on Sunday. In a sequence of blasts, more than 35 Taliban militiamen were killed or injured.
On Sunday, a pickup vehicle carrying Taliban militants was targeted by a bomb in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, the stronghold of the Islamic State group's Afghanistan branch, according to local media. Witnesses also informed local media that many Taliban militants were injured and transported to the hospital following the explosion, which, according to one journalist, occurred at a transportation junction between Kabul and the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, after three more explosions were reported Monday in the provincial city, where ISIS is present, there were unverified claims of more Taliban fatalities. The Taliban is under pressure from the international community to prevent ISIS militants from using Afghanistan as a staging ground for terror operations, according to a published article in Newsweek.
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The Taliban Is Now Under Pressure To Stabilize Peace
The Taliban is under pressure to restrict Isis terrorists, partly to keep a commitment made to the international community that they would not stage terror operations from Afghan territory. Despite concerns and reservations about the Taliban, there is still a widespread hope among conflict-weary Afghans that the new authorities would at least restore a degree of public safety.
Some Afghans believed that, under the group's leadership, others' degree of public safety would be restored; but the frequency of assaults has caused some to question this. Feda Mohammad, whose brother and cousin were killed in one of the blasts on Sunday, claimed the Taliban's takeover will bring peace, per South China Morning Post.
The newest ISIS attacks occur as the Taliban attempt to rule a nation ravaged by four decades of conflict. The economy is in free decline, the health system is on the brink of collapse, and thousands of educated elites have left the nation. Drought, hunger, and poverty are expected to increase, according to international relief organizations.
The Weekend Blasts Are Reminders That ISIS Remains Dangerous
The weekend bombings provided a stark reminder of the terrorists' danger. ISIS suicide bombers attacked U.S. evacuation operations outside Kabul's international airport only weeks ago as American and foreign soldiers concluded their departure and hurried airlift from the country. It was one of the bloodiest assaults in Afghanistan in years. 169 Afghans and 13 US military personnel were killed in the explosion.
As ISIS terrorists exploit the weakness of an overburdened Taliban administration facing enormous security difficulties and an economic collapse, the events have fueled concerns of further bloodshed. ISIS is making a spectacular return, according to Ibraheem Bahiss, an International Crisis Group expert and independent research analyst.
