Taliban arrest 4 IS members as extremist threat grows – By Rahim Faiez & Samya Kullab (Associated Press) / Oct 6 2021
A Taliban spokesman says its special unit forces have arrested four Islamic State members and seized their documents and weapons in a raid north of the Afghan capital
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban arrested four Islamic State members and seized their documents and weapons north of the Afghan capital, the group’s chief spokesman said Wednesday.
Zabihullah Mujahid said the operation was carried out Tuesday night by special unit forces in the Pashai area of Pagham district in Kabul province. He provided no additional details.
The arrests came as the Taliban leadership, which assumed control of the country after seizing the capital on Aug. 15, grapples with a growing security threat from the group known as Islamic State Khorasan, an IS affiliate. The extremist group has ramped up attacks since the Taliban consolidated power following the U.S. exit. It has claimed responsibility for attacks including two deadly bombings in the capital in the last month.
IS claimed it targeted Tuesday night a vehicle carrying Taliban members with an explosive device in District 1 in Kunar province, northeast of the capital, killing and wounding those onboard. It said a Taliban reinforcement patrol rushed to the area to help but IS fighters clashed with them, killing and wounding “many.”
