There has been no comment from Islamic State or information about casualties it has sustained in the clashes, some of the heaviest between the rival Islamist factions over the past year. Late on Monday, Afghan government forces launched attacks including air strikes to push the militants out of the area, officials said. The provincial governor's spokesman, Ataullah Khogyani, said that while Monday night's attacks were aimed at "eliminating" Islamic State in the area, the government wanted to clear out the Taliban too. Islamic State fighters first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in around 2014 and have battled the Taliban as well as government and foreign forces. The US military estimates there are about 2,000 Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 01, 2019 05:37 UTC