Taliban forces claim killing of 2 IS members

Taliban security forces killed two militants from the Islamic State group and detained a third in an overnight raid in the Afghan capital of Kabul, the spokesman for the Taliban government said Monday.

The regional affiliate of the Islamic State group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is a key rival of the Taliban.

The militant group has increased its attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021. Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority, reported Associated Press.

According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the main Taliban government spokesman in Kabul, the operation took place in a residential neighborhood, targeting IS militants who were planning to organize attacks in the Afghan capital.

He said the Kher Khana neighborhood is an important IS hideout.

There was no immediate comment from the IS.