ASADABAD – Islamic State and the Taliban, after more than a year of fierce combat, have forged a patchwork ceasefire across much of eastern Afghanistan that has helped both insurgencies regroup and counter US-backed efforts to dislodge them, reported Wall Street Journal on Monday.
Until several months ago, Islamic State fought bloody battles with local Taliban units over fighters and territory in several provinces. The long-running Taliban insurgency has sought to stamp out its smaller rival, which only emerged in 2014. Afghan and US-led coalition forces took advantage of the conflict, engaging the militants on multiple fronts to push them back and reclaim territory they held.
But recently, Afghan officials say, the two insurgencies have worked out local deals to stop fighting each other and turn their sights on the government. The upshot is that Islamic State has been able to focus on fighting US- backed Afghan forces in Nangarhar province and shift north into Kunar province, establishing a new foothold in a longtime Taliban and former Al-Qaeda stronghold.
“They fought deadly battles with the Taliban before. But over the past two months, there has been no fighting among them,” said Gen Mohammad Zaman Waziri, who commands Afghan troops in the east.
Islamic State’s presence in Afghanistan is still nascent. Even in its stronghold Nangarhar, Afghan officials estimate the group remains several times smaller than the Taliban. And the ceasefire between them could break apart at any time.
But Islamic State has exploited the relative peace with its rival to extend the reach of its deadly attacks. In July, Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed more than 80 people, one of the worst attacks in the capital since 2001.
Despite occasional violence among gunmen of the two groups, Islamic State commanders have tried to cultivate cordial ties with the Taliban.
In Kunar, for example, Islamic State fighters have approached Taliban members for talks about their mutual ambition to establish an Islamic system of law. They also target locals by visiting mosques to talk about their beliefs and offering food at gatherings where their ideas are discussed.
Although its reputation for brutality has slowed its ability to win support, Islamic State has still been able to expand its ranks by offering small salaries in desperately poor areas. In one district, for instance, Islamic State has recruited around 40 men for its battle for Nangarhar province, according to a tribal elder in Sarkani district, Malak Khan Bacha. But it has yet to start military operations against the government in Kunar, as it focuses on recruitment.
“They want to brainwash the youth. They are spreading propaganda against the foreign troops and the government,” Bacha said. “They give money to people.”
Islamic State’s alliance with the Taliban comes as the US steps up efforts to combat it. A joint Afghan-US operation against Islamic State in February was hailed as a success until it became clear the militants had regrouped and were regaining lost ground.
In recent weeks, the US military has pulled more troops into Afghanistan for a new joint offensive with Afghan forces involving heavy airstrikes and operations targeting commanders. The US-Afghan operation in the east has cleared Islamic State strongholds in several districts in Nangarhar province, driving the militants further into mountainous areas close to the border and north to Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
The focus of the operation is expected to shift into neighboring provinces, including Kunar, to chase after fighters fleeing to safer ground.
The top US military commander in the country, Army Gen John Nicholson, said the ceasefire between the militant groups in Kunar didn’t reflect a broader agreement. “There’s still a conflict even though they may have a local ceasefire in place,” he said. “There’s always been a live-and-let-live dimension to some of the social fabric.”
For now, local officials are skeptical the ceasefire will grow into an actual battlefield alliance. For one thing, ideologies differ. The Taliban want foreign forces to leave Afghanistan and Shariah law to be established, while Islamic State wants to create a global caliphate. Neither wants to relinquish control to the other group.
“The Taliban’s stance is that we are the only group and if you fight you should fight under us,” the governor of Kunar, Wahidullah Kalimzai, said. “They see themselves as the owners of the war.”http://nation.com.pk/national/09-Aug-2016/taliban-is-forge-informal-alliance-in-afghanistan
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