'IS' leader in Afghanistan killed in military raid
May 8, 2017
Abdul Hasib, leader of the so-called "Islamic State's" (IS) affiliate in Afghanistan, was killed in a joint US-Afghan raid, officials have said. A number of other IS commanders were killed in the operation.
That was followed by a separate confirmation from US forces in Afghanistan, who said that Hasib and "several other high-ranking" IS leaders were killed in the operation on April 27 in the eastern Nangarhar province, along with 35 other extremist fighters.
The deaths of Hasib and his associates would "significantly degrade ISIS-K (the name given to IS affiliates active in the Khorasan province) operations in Afghanistan and help reach our goal of destroying them in 2017," the US military said in a statement.
The commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said that the "successful joint operation is another important step in our relentless campaign" to wipe out the Islamist group. According to Pentagon estimates, around 1,000 IS fighters remain active in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's embattled Nangarhar province
Afghan and US forces have been conducting special operations in Nangarhar, where two US soldiers were killed on April 26, just a day before the raid that killed Hasib.
Hasib is believed to have personally ordered an attack on a Kabul military hospital in March that killed 49 people and wounded a further 76.
Nicholson said that Hasib was the second IS leader to be killed in the last nine months, along with dozens of other commanders and hundreds of fighters. He also accused Hasib of having ordered the beheading of local elders and kidnapping women as brides for IS fighters.
"I applaud the tremendous skill and courage shown by our Afghan partners," Nicholson said. "This fight strengthens our resolve to rid Afghanistan of these terrorists and bring peace and stability to this great country."
US forces have been supporting Afghan commandos in recent months by conducting airstrikes on IS positions in Nangarhar province.
The compound in which Hasib was killed was located near the tunnel complex that was targeted by the US last month when it unleashed its so-called "Mother of all Bombs" - the biggest non-nuclear weapon ever used by the US in combat.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Souleiman
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US set to step up Afghanistan presence
Next week, the Pentagon will ask the White House to send another 3,000 to 5,000 troops to Afghanistan to advise and train local military and police forces. If sanctioned, it would mark a shift in the US' Middle East policy, which has seen it steadily downsize troop numbers in Afghanistan since 2011.
The number of US troops currently stationed there number around 8,400, most of whom work in an advisory capacity. That's a far cry from the more than 100,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan six years ago. However, since US troops began pulling out in 2011, local forces have struggled to contain the Taliban and IS' unrelenting insurgencies.
